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NUMBER 44 

OCCASIONAL PAPERS 

ENGINEER SCHOOL 

UNITED STATES ARMY 


©he engineer battalion in the 

Cun l Hibn* 

A Contribution to the History of the 
United States Engineers 

By 

GILBERT THOMPSON 

Private and Corporal in the Battalion during the Civil IPar 
Major , Corps of Engineers , D.C.N.G ., iSqo-iSqS 


Revised and Rewritten under the Direction of the 
Commandant Engineer School , U. S.Army 

By 

Second Lieut. JOHN W. N. SCHULZ 

Corps of Engineers 


WASHINGTON BARRACKS, D. C. 

PRESS OF THE ENGINEER SCHOOL 
1910 

_ 


Monograph 






















NUMBER 44 

OCCASIONAL PAPERS 

ENGINEER SCHOOL 

UNITED STATES ARMY 


^he (Engineer battalion in the 

Ciiril lUav 

A Contribution to the History of the 
United States Engineers 


By 


GILBERT THOMPSON 

. # G 

Private and Corporal in the Battalion during the Civil fVar 
Major, Corps of Engineers , D.C.N.G ., /Sqo-tSqS 


Revised and Revuritten under the Direction of the 
Commandant Engineer School, U. S. Army 

By 

Second Lieut. JOHN W. N. SCHULZ 

Corps of Engineers 


WASHINGTON BARRACKS, D. C. 
I'RESS OF THE ENGINEER SCHOOL 
1910 












* n 

co ? 7 


The following works have been freely consulted during the revision of this 
history: Turtle’s History of the Engineer Battalion; Youngberg’s History of 
Engineer Troops in the United States Army; Campaigns of the Civil War, and 
Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. 

Acknowledgment is due Miss Amy Greer Thompson, daughter of Mr. Gilbert 
Thompson, fot the constant and cheerful assistance rendered by her in the work 
of revision. 

John W. N. Schulz, 

Second Lieutenant . Corps of Engineers. 




CONTENTS. 


Pajrc- 

1861, and Winter of 1861-1862. 1 

Peninsula Campaign. 8 

Antietam Campaign. 21 

Fredericksburg Campaign . .... . 24 

Chancellorsville Campaign . 31 

Gettysburg Campaign . 34 

Operations near the Rappahannock. 42 

Winter Camp at Brandy Station. 50 

Wilderness Campaign. 56 

March to the James. 62 

Investment of Petersburg . 70 

Winter Camp before Petersburg. 92 

Appomattox Campaign and Close of Active Service. 95 

Appendix I. — Volunteer Engineers, 1861-1865. 100 

Appendix II —Military Bridges over the Chickahominy . 10J 


















MAPS ANI) ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page 

An Engineer Soldier’s War Library (Frontispiece). 

James C. Duane... .. 3 

Arsenal Grounds, Washington, 1). C. 5 

Ponton Boats.opposite pages 6,7 

Frederick W. Gerber. 7 

Berlin Ponton Bridge and Destroyed Bridge. 9 

Battery No. 1, Yorktown, Ya. 11 

Military Bridges on the Chickahominy River. 15 

Territory of Operations of the Battalion.opposite page 16 

Woodbury and Alexander Bridge. 19 

Engineer Camp near Falmouth, Ya. 31 

Essayons Dramatic Club. 51 

Essayons Theater. 53 

The Battalion at the Battle of the Wilderness. 55 

The Battalion at the Battle of Spottsylvania Court House. 59 

Guinea Bridge, May 21, 1864. 63 

Portion of Cold Harbor Battlefield. 65 

Bridge over James River, Virginia. * . 69 

Investment of Petersburg.opposite page 70 

Ponton Bridge open for Steamers. 71 

Plan of United States Engineer Camp, Siege of Petersburg, Ya. 73 

Fort Sedgwick, Petersburg, Ya., 1864-1865. 75 

Quarters of the Men in Fort Sedgwick. 77 

Plan of Fort Conahey.opposite page 78 

Dressing Case (before Petersburg, Ya., September 11, 1864). 83 

“Our Alley,” Engineer Camp before Petersburg, Ya. 89 

Winter Camp, United States Engineers, before Petersburg, Ya., 1864-1865 93 






























1 


INTRODUCTION. 

This record of the part the Engineers filled during an important period in 
our National history is almost entirely made up from written reports and infor¬ 
mation furnished by the officers of the Corps who were in the field; and, in 
more detail, from the journals of soldiers kept during active service, and from 
letters written by them at the time. A great mass of material has been cheer¬ 
fully furnished, and much tedious correspondence patiently gone through, to 
arrive at the correct statement of movements and events. It is hoped that this 
attempt to put on record the actual service of the Regular Engineer Troops in 
the Civil War will be of value to the historian, and a satisfaction to those who 
have belonged to this most honorable, as well as exacting, branch of the¬ 
se rvice. 

Gilbert Thompson. 

Washington, D. C., 

June 7, 1909. 


N 



AN ENGINEER SOLDIER’S AVAR LIBRARY 






THE ENGINEER BATTALION IN THE 

CIVIL WAR 


A Contribution to the History of the 
United States Engineers 

by 

Gilbert Thompson 

Private and Corporal in the Battalion during the Civil tVar 
Major , Corps of Engineers , D. C.N. G. } 1890-1898 


1861, AND WINTER OF 1861-1862. 

At the outbreak of the Civil War the Engineer troops of the 
United States Army consisted of a single company—Company A, 
United States Engineers. On the 20th of January, 1861, this 
organization (less a small detachment doing duty on the Pacific 
Coast) was ordered from its regular station at the Military Acad¬ 
emy at West Point to Washington, D. C., for the purpose of pro¬ 
tecting the public buildings, stores, and arsenals. 

The company, officered by First Lieuts. James C. Duane and 
Godfrey Weitzel, was quartered in the Columbian Armory, on the 
Mall, performing usual guard and company duties. Orders were 
necessarily very strict, no more than three men being allowed away 
at a time, and then only for an hour. Drills were frequent, and 
the command was kept in a high state of efficiency. On the occasion 
of the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, on March 4, 1861, Com¬ 
pany A, with loaded rifles, served as escort to the new President. 

The company remained at Washington until April 3, when it 
left at 6 a. m. for New York, arriving at Fort Lafayette at 9 o’clock 
the same evening. On the 7th it embarked on the steamer Atlantic 
and sailed, under sealed orders, the following day. The expedition 
was under the command of Maj. Harvey Brown, Second Artillery, 
and consisted, in addition to the Engineers, of a mounted battery 
and some infantry. The Atlantic arrived at Santa Rosa Island, 
Florida, April 16, and the company immediately disembarked, 
although 11 o’clock at night, reaching Fort Pickens, for which the 

expedition was destined, between 12 and 3 in the morning. 

l 




2 


In the strengthening of Fort Pickens the lesson of Fort Sumter 0 
was not overlooked- All wooden buildings were torn down, bomb- 
proofs and traverses were built, and the heavy guns mounted. 

The duty at Fort Pickens was hard and unremitting, and this, 
combined with the scarcity of fresh rations and other proper food, 
made severe inroads upon the health and strength of the company. 
The officers fared no better than the men, and whenever it was pos¬ 
sible, bought extras for them from their own purses. 

The company, sick and broken down, left Fort Pickens for West 
Point, N. Y., on the 17th of September, reaching there on the 30th. 
Two of the company were left behind, buried on the glacis of the 
fort. 

On October 31, 1861, A Company left West Point for Washing¬ 
ton, where it was joined by the detachment which had been absent 
on the Pacific Coast. This detachment had been engaged in various 
duties. In March, 1861, it proceeded from Fort Steilacoom, on 
Puget Sound, to San Francisco, Cal. It was there detained by 
Brig. Gen. E. V. Sumner for the purpose of laying out and con¬ 
structing additional batteries on Alcatraz Island. First Lieut. 
Thos. L. Casey, Corps of Engineers, who commanded, was permitted 
to proceed directly to Washington. First Lieut. James B. McPher¬ 
son, Corps of Engineers, assumed command, in addition to other 
duties. He, with two men of the detachment, began to make a 
survey for defenses at Monterey, Cal., but before this was accomp¬ 
lished imperative orders came from Washington for the detachment 
to proceed at once to West Point. Passage was taken on the next 
steamer for Panama, and West Point was reached July 15, 1861. 
Twelve days later, the detachment, numbering sixteen men, pro¬ 
ceeded to Washington, under command of First Lieut. Cyrus B. 
Comstock, Corps of Engineers. Here the men were put immediately 
to work, superintending the construction of the fortifications of the 
Capital, being first employed on the rifle battery at Chain Bridge, 
and afterwards at Fort Pennsylvania (later Fort Reno), and on 
other works in the vicinity of Upton, Munson, and Mason hills. 
They also instructed the Fifteenth and Fiftieth New York Volun¬ 
teers,which had been detailed for engineer duty, in pontoniering 
and the making of siege material. 

In the meantime, while the main portion of the company was at 

“The capitulation of Fort Sumter occurred a few days before Company A 
arrived at Fort Pickens. 

6 See Appendix I for a brief account of the war services of volunteer engi¬ 
neer organizations. 



3 


9 


Fort Pickens, three new companies of engineers were authorized by 
an Act of Congress approved August 3, 1861. On August 6th one 
company of topographical engineers was also authorized.* So ended 
the distinctive career of the “old company.’’ Recruiting for the 
new companies soon began. Company B was recruited at Portland, 
Me., by Capt. Thomas L. Casey; Company C at Boston, Mass.; by 
Capt. James B. McPherson. Company D was organized later, July 
4, 1862, at Harrisons Landing on the James River, Virginia, by 



.TAMES C. DUANE. 

BFIOAOIKR-OKNKKAIj and chief engineer, u. s. a. 

Born June 30, 1824. Graduated from West Point, and assigned to Company A, 1848. 
Commanded that company during the Utah Expedition, 1858. Commanded the Bat¬ 
talion of Engineers from the fall of 1861 throughout the Peninsula Campaign. Chief 
Engineer Army of the Potomac from July, 1863, to June, 1865. Appointed Chief of 
Engineers, U. S. Army, October, 1886. Retired, June, 1888. Died, November 8, 1897. 

transfers from the other companies. The recruiting for the com¬ 
pany of topographical engineers was begun at Boston, November 8, 

*This was the only company of topographical engineers ever authorized, the 
Corps of Topographical Engineers being later merged in the Corps of Engi¬ 
neers. So long as one of these men remained in the service he was known as a 
11 topog. *’ 





4 


1861, by First Lieut. Charles N. Turnbull, Topographical Engineers* 
These recruits, ten in number, were afterwards transferred to the 
Engineer companies. 

The companies were organized at Washington into a Provisional 
Battalion, commanded by Captain Duane, and officered by First 
Lients. Cyrus B. Comstock, Godfrey Weitzel, C. B. Reese and 
Charles E. Cross, and Second Lieut. 0. E. Babcock, all of the Corps 
of Engineers. The Battalion was attached to the Army oi the 
Potomac, whose commander, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, had 
himself been an officer of Company A during the war with Mexico. 

The men were quartered in a large residence and in a block of 


buildings at the foot of Four-and-a-half street, adjoining the 
Arsenal grounds. Bridge drills were held on the beach, and 
parades and other drills on the Arsenal grounds. Captain Duane 
and the other officers occupied wooden cottages just inside the 
gate. The site of the men’s quarters is now occupied by the car 
barn of the Capital Traction Company, and there is nothing left 
to remind one of the winter quarters of 1861-1862. 


The rooms were crowded. For several weeks no mattresses 
could be obtained, and overcoats were the only substitutes. One 
room, 14 by 20 feet, with a fireplace, was occupied by seventeen men. 
The rations were very limited, which, with the change of climate, 
produced considerable sickness, and many of the men were in the 
hospital. Several of the men died, and were buried with military 
honors in Congressional Cemetery. One burial took place late at 
night, during a heavy rain. Sergeant Gerber, by the light of a 
lantern, read the service.* 

With the exception of those of the “old company,” the men 
were recruits, and essentially volunteers, who had turned out, like 


*Sergt. Frederick W. Gerber, the first sergeant of A Company, was in some 
respects a remarkable man. The recruits looked up to him with a reverential 
feeling; he had been “in Mexico ’’ and “on the plains,” and was a real “old 
soldier . 1 ’ It was said that he had been educated to become a priest, but that 
the sacred calling did not long demand his services. He was expert in all the 
mysteries of camp life and military routine, was quartermaster and drillmaster, 
butcher and blacksmith, rigger and boatman. Practical and punctillious in 
all duties, he considered that to be the ranking non-commissioned officer of the 
Army was a greater honor than to hold a commission. He received a medal of 
honor from Congress, and on the occasion of his death, at Willets Point, N. Y., 
November 10, 1875, an order was issued by the commanding officer of the Bat¬ 
talion, that the officers, as a mark of respect to this faithful old soldier, should 
wear crepe for thirty days. 



the Minute Men of 177(3, for a special service. They were full of 
interest in their drills, and absorbed without mincing the hundred 
page lessons in tactics and in Duane’s and Mahan’s manuals. 
They worried the “old company” men with questions concerning 
military duties, and even requested extra drills. The “old hands,” 
many of whom were sought after and offered commissions in the 
volunteers," took a kindly interest in the “new men.” 

The leisure time, of which there was not much, was passed in 
singing hymns and songs, in dancing, mimic courts, debates, and 
in interminable arguments on points in tactics. 

On December 12, 1861, the artificers repaired the bow of the 
steamer Henri) Jenkins , which had been shot into while running 
the enemy’s batteries on the Potomac. A blacksmith and a car- 



■JS>, ' 


' fe¬ 
es 


ARSENAL GROUNDS, WASHINGTON, D. C. 

penter shop were soon in practical operation, constructing field 
equipments, making repairs, etc. 

On December 17, the pontons^ made their appearance, provoking 
at first many humorous comments. Duane’s Manual on bridge 
building was conned over and recited at this time. To Captain 
Duane may be given the credit of the opportune development of 

"On receiving such an offer, one of the men asked the advice of Captain 
Duane. The Captain, nettled at the prospect of losing a good man, replied, in 
his quick way, “Why, President Lincoln can make a brigadier-general in five 
minutes, but it has taken five years to make you an Engineer soldier. ’ ’ 

&There were also some wagons, the bodies of which were made of corrugated 
sheet iron, after a plan of Francis, the inventor of the life-boat. They did not 
take the place of the ponton boat in any respect, and were not used after the 
Peninsula Campaign. 






























what afterwards became known as the American military bridge 
equipage, which, with some slight modifications, proved to be the 
best ever used. 

Parties went occasionally for material, for instruction in making 
fascines and gabions. Target practise was taken up. 

New Year’s Eve was appropriately celebrated, and New Year’s 
Day was a “free day,” many attending the President’s reception. 

On January 2 business was resumed, it being our first ponton 
drill day. The tubs were no longer subjects of irreverent remarks, 
but, on the contrary, of sincere respect. They afterwards became 
our fast friends and companions. They excelled a gymnasium for 
the development of chest and muscle; they sheltered us from the 
rain and the sun; they hid us from the foe; they carried our 
wounded, and received our dead. When, as veterans with dis¬ 
charges in our pockets, we took our last look at the camp, our eyes 
lingered longest where the old arks were parked, battered and 
plugged hut fitted and equipped, ready for another move. 

On February 12 a raft of canal boats was built, 60 by 40 feet. 
President Lincoln came down and was greatly interested in this 
piece of construction. 

On February 14 a detail went down to the Arsenal and prac¬ 
tised the unlimbering and limbering up of two rifle batteries. 

The steady routine of duty and drill was broken by orders to be 
ready to move at short notice. On February 24, at 11 a. m., the 
companies entrained on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and 
arrived at Sandy Hook, Md., at 11 p. m., remaining on the cars 
during the night. 

Camp was made the next day at the east end of the railroad 
bridge. Sibley tents were used. No fires were allowed at night, 
as they would have been observed by the enemy. 

At 2 a. m., February 26, Companies B and C turned out and un¬ 
loaded the pontons from the cars, carrying the material one mile to 
the site of the bridge. 

At daylight, February 27, Company A and some remaining men 
were turned out and the construction of a ponton bridge was begun. 
This was the first wooden ponton bridge ever thrown for actual 
service in this country, and its success or failure was of unusual 
interest. The troops engaging in the undertaking had been under 
instruction barely seven weeks. The wind was blowing a gale and 
the water running a flood. A notable feat in military engineering 
had been accomplished, when, at 1 p. m., this floating bridge of 41 



PONTON BOAT. 




























PONTON BOAT. 















boats, total length 840 feet, was finished, and the troops began 
crossing. Generals McClellan and Banks, with their staffs, step¬ 
ped to land as the last chess was laid. Later in the day, a hawser 
"as stretched across the river, from which guy ropes were fastened 
to relieve the ten 600-pound anchors of part of the strain of holding 
the bridge against the current. 

On March 1 a flying bridge was constructed across the Shenan¬ 
doah River, on the east side of Harpers Ferry. To maneuver the 
raft, made ol two pontons, through the foaming current, was ex- 



FREDERICK W. GERBER. 

Frederick W. Gerber enlisted in the Fourth United States Infantry in 1839. Trans¬ 
ferred to Company A, United States Engineers, June, 1846. Was with Company A in 
the war with Mexico, and being a famous bugler, was selected by General Scott to sound 
the “General” with his bugle, at the ceremony of the surrender of the City of Mexico. 
Was Acting Sergeant-Major of the Battalion from 1861 until the close of the Peninsula 
Campaign in 1862. Was made Full Sergeant-Major of the Battalion of Engineers, 
February 21st, 1867, and in that capacity was Adjutant of the Battalion. 

Died at West Point, New York, November 10th, 1875. 

In recognition of his long and meritorious service a medal of honor was awarded him 
by Congress. 

citing and exhiliarating work. Col. John W. Geary, of the Penn¬ 
sylvania troops', was enthusiastic in his satisfaction as company 
after company was swiftly and surely taken over. 











8 


On March 3, in a pelting rain, the Battalion left tor ‘ home,’ 
arriving the next day. A few men, who had been left under 
Corporal Coughlan to look after the general care of the bridge, re¬ 
turned a few days later. 

On March 11 the Battalion made its first march as part of the 
Army of the Potomac, leaving quarters in full marching order at 
6 a. m., and going into camp, in Sibley tents, within two miles of 
Fairfax Court House, at 3.30 p. m. The officers of the Battalion 
present were Captain Duane, in command, and Lieutenants Reese, 


Cross, and Babcock. 

On March 12, at 6 a. m., we moved out, camping at Fairfax Court 
House at 10 a. m. Details were on guard at General McClellan’s 
headquarters, as also on the 13th and the forenoon of the 14th. 

March 14, at 5.30 p. m., we struck tents, and were on the march 
back to Washington inside of an hour. At midnight we lay down 
as best we could in the rain, at Bailevs Cross Roads. We reached 
our former quarters, with but one rest, at noon, the next day. 


THE PENINSULA CAMPAIGN. 

From March 16 the Battalion was employed in loading steamers 
and boats with bridge and engineering material, preparatory to the 
movement of the Army of the Potomac to Fort Monroe. 

On the 17th the companies fell in ready for marching, with teams 
hitched up, and everything in order for a move. 

But it was not until the 26th that the Army finally embarked for 
its trip down the river. Never had there been seen on the Potomac 
at Washington such a brilliant spectacle as was presented at night 
by the hundreds of vessels, with lights at the mastheads—the whole 
resembling a floating city. The myriad sounds of a vast populace 
filled the air and echoed along the water. To transport such an 
army, with its materials, was of itself a prodigious undertaking, 
and in its successful execution deserving of much admiration. 

On March 27, the Battalion, on the steamers Herald and Mary¬ 
land , with cargoes in tow, left AVashington. A small detachment 
under Sergt. Robert Ayres, of A Company, was left behind to look 
after some property. 

On March 28 we arrived at Fort Monroe, and anchored between 
the fort and the rip-raps (now Fort AVool) close to the famous 
Monitor, which had steam up, ready for action. 

Alarch 29. Reveille at 5 a. m. AVe disembarked at Hampton 
Creek, pitched tents, and unloaded material. 


9 



BERLIN PONTON BRIDGE AND DESTROYED BRIDGE. 


























10 


April 1. A man of Company C* died of pleurisy. The car¬ 
penters pulled the boards from a house to make his coffin. He was 
buried in a cemetery north of the fort. 

The forward movement toward Yorktown began the 4th. The 
Battalion had reveille at 3.30 a. m. We marched at noon, and 
camped on Big Bethel battle ground. The next day, the Battalion 
started out early, and although we made but little progress, on 
account of the terrible condition of the roads, we kept on until 
after midnight, when we lay down by the road. After an hour s 
rest we moved on until noon. The Battalion camped at ( amp 
McClellan. Company B was ordered to Ship Point, and detach¬ 
ments were sent out to fix roads. 

April 7. Moved forward and camped on Dr. Power’s planta¬ 
tion. Lieutenant Comstock, with a detachment of the Battalion, 
examined the enemy’s position. Hard rains set in and the roads 
were in a terrible condition. 

On April 10 we made gabions, and on the 11th moved to near 
Wormsley Creek, marching 5 miles. No drums were allowed to 
be beaten. The detachment under Sergeant Ayres, which had re¬ 
mained in Washington until April 2, arrived in camp, having 
marched from Hampton by way of Ship Point. The officers made 
examinations at the front, while the construction of siege material 
was actively carried on by the Battalion. 

During the night of April 14 we built a ponton bridge across 
Black Creek, but, as we were short of boats, we did not reach the 
opposite bank. The boats were unloaded in the creek near camp, 
and under cover of darkness were rowed as quietly as possible out 
to the open water of York River, and then into the creek where the 
bridge was to be laid. 

On the 17th one of our rafts was caught out on the river and 
shelled; one boat was smashed, but no one was hurt. 

A working detail of New York Zouaves took part in making 
gabions on April 18. Details from the companies went to the 
front and threw up a 16-gun battery on the left; and Battery No. 1, 
commanding York River, was also started. 

Detachments were out at night, in charge of working details of 
infantry. Although it was expected that the infantry would pro¬ 
tect the Engineer parties, arms were generally taken along, and on 
several occasions, at the prospect of a brush on the picket line, the 
detail formed into line and loaded for an attack. 


*G. W. L. Sanborn. 



11 



BATTERY No. 1, YORKTOWN, VA. 


















12 


April 1!). Threw a ponton bridge at night across Wormsley 
Creek. It was very dark. The enemy’s pickets were near, and no 
noise was made; not even a match was struck. Our troops 
crossed at daylight. 

As the work progressed on the batteries, considerable artillery 
fire was indulged in. On May 2 work had to be suspended at Bat¬ 
teries 10, 13, and 14 for a while on account of the heavy fire. This 
unnecessary fusillade, at all times and in all directions, made us 
think, as afterwards proved to be correct, that Yorktown was being 
evacuated. 

The night of May 3, parties were at work on batteries at various 
points along the line. The magazines of some had to be enlarged, 
and repairs of embrasures, etc., had to be looked after. 

Sunday morning. May 4, fatigue parties were started out as 
usual, one to make scaling ladders at the sawmill. A detachment 
was ordered to Battery 10, and on its arrival found two companies 
of the Twenty-second Massachusetts Volunteers deployed as skir¬ 
mishers and ready to advance, as the pickets had reported that 
Yorktown was evacuated. These companies charged forward with 
a cheer, and planted their flag on the works, but the Engineer party 
was not allowed to follow them. 

May 5, in a heavy rain, we put the boat train in order, and loaded 
thirty-four boat wagons. The Battalion was placed in charge of 
one ponton train complete. 

May 8, at 2 p. m., we moved out, and camped on the field where 
the surrender of Cornwallis had occurred on October 20, 1781. 

May 9. The Battalion marched through Yorktown. The next 
few days we followed the Army, camping as best we could, some¬ 
times without tents or cooked food, as frequently the wagons were 
not up until after midnight. 

May 13. We marched all day, and at dark Company B started 
out to clear the road of trees which had been felled across it by 
the enemy. Fires had to be built before any cutting or clearing 
could be done. The boat train was taken along. Occasionally the 
boats had to be extricated from the mud by hand, and the road 
corduroyed in places to get them through. At daylight every one 
was so fatigued that to stop even for a moment caused one to fall 
down asleep. Just as the firm ground at Cumberland Landing was 
reached, the advance of the infantry came along under command of 
Brigadier-General Slocum, United States Volunteers, who, not 
knowing that they had had no rest for twenty-four hours, and 


13 


angry at their supposed lazy condition, put “Duane’s men” under 
arrest en masse. They were quickly released on arrival at head¬ 
quarters. 

May 14. Starting out at b p. in., we marched all night, and 
reached \\ liite House Landing at 8 a. m., the 15th. We were in¬ 
spected at retreat, and ordered to lay on our arms, ready for an 
attack. This was the great camp of the Army of the Potomac. 

May 20. Camp was moved to near Tunstalls Station, on York 
River Railroad. 


-May 21. Lieutenant Comstock made examinations at Bottom 
Bridge. 

May 22. The Battalion moved to Cold Harbor, camping near 
the junction of the roads. The officers were constantly making 
surveys and examinations, as far as the Chickahominy River, tak¬ 
ing men along to assist. The Battalion ponton train was turned 
over to the Fifteenth and Fiftieth New York Volunteer Engineers. 

May 25. Fatigue parties were out all day. At dark, Company 
B went down to the Chickahominy River, at New Bridge, and, 
under the cover of the heavy growth of timber along its banks, un¬ 
loaded a boat train. The work was done so quietly that at 20 
yards the noise of the unloading could scarcely be heard. A heavy 
shower occurred during the night, and the men returned to camp 
soaked. # 


May 27, at 4 a. m., Companies A and C marched to New Bridge, 
and threw a ponton bridge, afterwards taken up, as the enemy’s 
pickets made an advance. AVhile the bridge was being laid, the 
enemy’s pickets were in plain sight, but they offered no opposition, 
not a shot being fired. A portion of Company A, in going out, got 
mixed up with General Porter’s infantry column, and came very 
near getting into the fight that day at Hanover Court House. 
After returning to camp, the Battalion moved forward and camped 
near AY. Gaines’ house. 

On May 31st occurred the Battle of Fair Oaks. The beginning 
of the battle could be plainly seen from near the Engineer camp. 
At 5.30 p. m., the Battalion, under arms, went to New Bridge, 


*New Bridge was an old road crossing, and this was its local designation. 
The wooden bridge at this crossing was destroyed on our advance, probably 
by fire, as the uprights remained and were an annoyance in our later bridge 
work. 



14 


loaded rifles, and then tried to build a bridge, but without success." 

The work was resumed at daylight, June 1, and two bridges were 
finally laid by the Battalion . b The valley of the Chickahominy 
was flooded with water, and extra guy lines were required to hold 
the boats in position. The Battle of Fair Oaks could be still heard 
raging below. General Barnard, the Chief Engineer Officer of the 
Army of the Potomac, ordered Lieutenant Babcock to make an 
examination of the approaches on the far side. He started across 
with Sergeant Ayres and twelve men, but they had not proceeded 
far when, as they turned a bend in the road, they were fired upon 
by the enemy’s pickets; one man, Austin,® of Company A, was 


shot. This detachment was the only one to cross the stream at 
New Bridge. At night, the church bells at Richmond could be 
clearly heard—a distance of six and one-third miles. 

On June 2, 3, and 4, details were out at the bridges on the Chick¬ 
ahominy. 

On the 5th, some of the ponton boats at New Bridge were 
smashed by shells. • At Lower Trestle Bridge, 1 mile below 
New Bridge, where the swamp was still flooded waist deep, long 
corduroy approaches were built. 

June 6. Lieutenant Cross had a party at Lower Trestle Bridge. 
The end of the corduroy approach was in sight of the enemy’s 
pickets, and Lieutenant Cross, going out to examine the road, 
drew their fire, a few of the detachment being wounded. 

Details were out every day, also at night. The constant work in 
the water of the Chickahominy became very trying: the water had 
fallen; dead animals and filth were encountered; heavy showers at 
night rendered a dry sleep impossible, and the health of the com¬ 
mand suffered. 

On June 11 the construction of Duane’s Bridge was begun. This 
was one of the most important bridges on the river, located just 


«The night was intensely dark and the dense foliage of the swamp excluded 
any little light that was in the heavens. The stream . . . rose rapidly during 
the night. Captain Duane, who at New Bridge had the simplest task of all— 
that of bringing his pontons into position between existing abutments—found 
the darkness, the powerful current, and the rising stream too much to contend 
with, and postponed his operations until daylight.—Report of Brig. Gen. ,T. G. 
Barnard. 

6 See Appendix II for an account of the military bridges over the Chicka- 
hominy. 

^Austin was the first to receive a serious injury, although the men of the 
Battalion had had close calls at Yorktown. 



15 



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westward of the mouth of Boatswain Swamp, and work continued 
upon it night and day. In places the water was over one s head, 
but this in some respects was an advantage, as tlie heavy logs 
could he floated in place for the stringers. The stream was also 
examined for some distance by a boat party. A favorable point 
for a foot bridge was found a short distance upstream, at an old 
beaver dam. 

June 13. The Battalion moved camp to just beyond Dr. Gaines . 
Work was continued on the bridges. About this time also,»two 
batteries were laid out near the Ilogan house, and a battery close 
to and covering the approach to New Bridge. 

June 17. 'Duane’s Bridge was completed. It was about 900 
feet long, was built in a very substantial manner of cribs and 
corduroy, and was strong enough for the heaviest artillery and 
trains. 

June 19. We moved across Duane's Bridge to ‘Camp Lincoln,'' 
near Dr. Trent’s. Orders were very strict about leaving camp. 
Details were out building batteries near Dr. Gaines’ house. The 
battery at the head of New Bridge received a pounding each day, 
involving repairs and revetting each night. Lieutenant Comstock 
with orderlies, accompanied scouting parties which examined the 
country between the position of the Army and the James River. 

June 20. Strict orders were issued about leaving camp, except 
on pass. A hospital for our sick was fixed up, near a spring at 
the edge of the woods adjoining camp. 

June 22. A detail of Company B laid out some fortifications at 
New Bridge, and some new works were also built near Dr. Gaines’ 
house. 

June 26. The Battle of Mechanicsville. The Battalion made 
gabions in the forenoon. In the afternoon we heard the heavy 
firing and saw the ambulances going to the rear. Detachir nts 
were sent out at dark to the bridges, and one large party under 
Sergeant Pratt, of Company C, left at midnight. He reported to 
Lieutenant Reese at Dr. Gaines’ house, receiving orders to proceed 
to New Bridge, in order to dismantle the ponton bridge, put the 
material into the boats, and float the whole down the stream. The 
men stacked arms at New Bridge, and were under way when they 
encountered a number of large trees felled across the channel, 
which had either to be sawed or cut away. They had to work very 
carefully, as the enemy’s pickets had closed down to the bank and 
could have entered the boats if so disposed, while our own pickets 



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were withdrawn from our shore, at New Bridge, when the ponton 
bridge was taken up. It was now daylight, and the men were in a 
critical position, but they continued work, Sergeant Pratt giving 
them orders to defend themselves with their axes and oars if 
attacked. Shortly after, orders were received to get the material 
out on the bank and burn it, and to scuttle the ponton boats, 
leaving the anchors in them. This was speedily done, and, just as 
it was completed, an order came to take arms and get away as 
quickly as possible. During this affair the detachment was for a 
time caught between the lines, the Battle of Gaines Mill breaking 
out wldle they were taking arms. 

The same morning, June 27, a detail under charge of Corporal 
Flood, of Company A, superintended the construction of a line of 
rifle pits on the crest of the hill to the front of Smith’s Division. 
A brigade of the enemy moved out to attack, and the Engineer de¬ 
tachment loaded rifles and joined in the defense; the affair turned 
out, however, to be only a feint, intended to cover the real move¬ 
ment across New Bridge. From the position on the hill, the smoke 
of our burning ponton boats could be seen. When the rifle pit was 
finished, the detail took position in a redoubt at the rear, and 
finally marched to Savage Station. Detachments were on duty at 
the bridges to keep them in order. At dark a detail under Lieu¬ 
tenant Reese went to the Grape-Vine Bridge, with orders to destroy 
it after the troops.had retired to the south bank of the Chicka- 
liominy. Another detail, under Lieutenant Cross, was to go to the 
Woodbury and Alexander Bridge, for a similar purpose. 

Toward daylight, the 28th, Brig. Gen. Fitz John Porter, com¬ 
manding the Fifth Corps, gave orders personally to Lieutenant 
Reese: “As soon as this Brigade has passed, you will destroy the 
bridge.” But stragglers and small detachments continued to come 
along, and, more than all else to excite sympathy, the wounded; so 
that the last span was kept partly in place, or relaid occasionally, 
until an hour or more after sunrise. The enemy’s skirmishers 
finally appeared, when the structure was destroyed by cutting the 
few remaining supports. The axe proved to be a more certain 
destructive agent than gunpowder. It was a trying all night’s 
task, and almost without rest. 

The detachment of twelve men under Lieutenant Cross, going 
to the Woodbury and Alexander Bridge at daylight, found them¬ 
selves without infantry support. A skirmish line was made up of 
half the men, the other half being equipped with axes. A squad 


18 


of the enemy’s cavalry came down upon the party, but was fired 
upon by the skirmishers and driven back. The bridge was finally 
destroyed. 

Late in the afternoon the Battalion marched to White Oak 
Swamp, and bivouacked at the head of the cordurdy crossing which 
had been constructed by the volunteer engineers. 

June 29. The Army was still on the retreat, bound for the 
James. During the day the Battalion kept White Oak Crossing in 
condition. This required unremitting care, as the wagon trains 
kept moving without a break. It was intensely hot and suffocating 
in the dense swamp, and as hard on the men as if the Battalion had 
been in battle. The retiring troops threw away blankets and coats, 
at this point, to such an extent that one miry spot was repaired by 
spreading blankets over light brush. By making layers in this 
way, and adding earth, a heavy wagon would go over as though on 
a rubber carpet. At dark, we marched to Charles City Cross Roads, 
and camped, thoroughly worn out. Our sick were left at Savage 
Station and captured.* 

June 30. The Battalion marched with trains, and reached the 
James River at Haxalls Landing. We repaired roads and aided in 
keeping the trains moving. The men were worn out with fatigue 
and lack of food. 

July 1. We moved out early, and marched out to the right so 
far that the sound of the battle at Malvern Hill was at our left. 
Lieutenant Babcock posted a picket near the junction of some roads 
while the Battalion loaded rifles and deployed across the road in 
line of battle, then lay down on our arms. After remaining at 
this point for nearly an hour, the Battalion marched back and cut 
a heavy abattis, which is shown on the maps between Carters Mill 
Pond and the pike. Brig. Gen. Samuel P. Heintzelman, the com¬ 
mander of the Third Army Corps, personally examined this posi¬ 
tion, and was emphatic in his demand that it be made absolutely 
impenetrable. A section of a battery was put in position, with an 
infantry support, and we made a thorough entanglement in their 
front. This completed, we returned to our camp at Haxalls, and at 
dark started on the march down the river. At first we were taken 
on a wrong road for several miles, so that it was long after daylight 
when we reached Harrisons Landing. This night’s march was the 

*These men were taken to Richmond, where they saw our captured ponton 
boats driven in triumph through the city, a brass band in front. 



19 




WOODBURY AND ALEXANDER BRIDGE. 
The destruction of this bridge delayed Jackson’s Command one entire day in 















20 


darkest time the Battalion, and probably the whole Army of the 
Potomac, experienced. It was a sore disappointment to leave in 
the night, with the knowledge that the enemy had been beaten back 
in every charge that day at Malvern Hill. 

The famous “Seven Days’ Retreat” was at an end, and the 
Army settled down at Harrisons Landing. It was not, however, a 
period of inaction for the Engineer troops. Hardly had we finished 
some coffee the morning of July 2, than we were ordered out to 
slash a range through the timber, to enable the gunboats to throw 
shell to protect the camp. We were aided in this by some fresh 
troops from the Shenandoah Valley.* 

July 5. Company D was organized by details of picked men, 
every one in good health, from the other companies. 

July 6. The Battalion was turned out under arms at about 
midnight ; the alarm, however, proved to be a false one. Details 
were continually out, superintending the construction of the line 
of defense around the landing. 

On July the 28tli, shelter tents were issued and occupied. 

Just after midnight of July 31st the camp was shelled from the 
opposite shore, but the firing was soon stopped by the gunboats. 
The next day we went over to Coggins Point with the troops, where 
we slashed down timber and burned the buildings. From this 
time on, details went over each day to superintend the lines of 
defense at Coggins Point. 

August 10. Sunday. At 2 p. in. we received orders to get ready 
to move, with four days’ rations. At 11 p. m., the Battalion 
boarded the steamer Metamora, and, leaving Harrisons Landing, 
proceeded down the James River. 

Hampton Creek was reached at 8 o’clock the next morning. We 
loaded the bridge material on barges and arranged the boats into 
rafts for towing. Company D returned to Harrisons Landing at 
3 p. m., on the steamer Trenton. 

9 

August 12. Company D remained on the steamer all day, an¬ 
choring 25 miles below Harrisons Landing. Companies A, B, and 
C were with the rafts coming up the river. 

August 13. At daylight all went into the mouth of the Chicka- 
hominy, and, assisted by the Fiftieth New York Volunteer Engi- 

*Our sick list at Harrisons Landing was so large that it was a problem to 
get a detail for fatigue duty. One day Sergeant Gferber admonished the last 
and only man of Company A in camp, as follows: “ Ven I calls out ‘ Tur-rn 
out, Company A,* you, Private Rue, tur-rn out.” 



21 


neers, commenced the construction of a bridge at Barrets Ferry, 
on the main river road. 

The bridge was completed early the 14th, and was crossed, first 
by the cavalry, then by Sykes’ Division. This bridge was the long¬ 
est yet built, consisting of five spans of trestles and ninety-six 
boats; the floor w r as covered with unthreshed wheat which had been 
stacked in a field near by. 

On August 15, 16, and 17, the companies took turns in guarding 
the bridge and keeping it in order. The gunboat Paivnee pro¬ 
tected the crossing. 

August 18. The rear guard of the Army crossed at 1 p. m. The 
bridge was dismantled in four hours and made into rafts, w T hich, at 
5 p. m., were towed by steamers down the river. The Battalion 
was transported on the Metamora to Hampton. 

August 19. At Hampton. 

The Battalion left Hampton on board the Metamora at 5 a. m., 
August 20. We anchored at A quia Creek, Virginia, at 5 p. m., 
remaining on the steamer the next day. 

August 22. Camp was made at the foot of the bluffs, southeast 
of the railroad. 

Until August 30 little was done. The rations w^ere very poor 
and we would have suffered except for the foraging. 

On August 30 w T e heard the sounds of fighting near Washington, 
and at night detachments destroyed the bridge at Potomac Creek. 

August 31. The Battalion embarked on the steamer Niagara 
and moved up the river, anchoring at dark. 

September 1. We arrived at Alexandria, and w r ent into camp 
during a very hard shower. 

September 2. We remained in camp and dried out. 

September 3. Camp was broken, and the Battalion marched 
across Long Bridge to Washington, encamping at our former loca¬ 
tion near the Arsenal. 

September 3-7. In Washington. Dress parade was held each 
evening. On the 6th, w r e w^ere detailed to the unpleasant duty 
of standing guard wdth loaded rifles over the men of Graham’s 
Battery, who were up in arms about some strict ruling of their 
captain. 

ANTIETAM CAMPAIGN. 

September 7. The line of march was taken up with General 
McClellan’s Army. The Battalion marched to beyond Tennally- 
town. It was a hard march in the heat, and showed the poor con- 


22 


dition the men of the Battalion were in from the previous hard 
work. We were fairly broken down at one time, and if Lieutenant 
Cross had not given the command a long rest, we could not have 
reached our destined camp. 

September 8. We moved out and camped 1 mile beyond Rock¬ 
ville. 

September 9. Lieutenant Cross issued orders in regard to un¬ 
necessary personal baggage, specifying just what each man could 
carry. This was a pleasant camp, and we could buy good bread, 
fruit, vegetables, etc. The men began to recover strength and 
health. The Battalion remained here also over the 10th. 

• September 11. We marched back to Rockville, and then by 
turnpike to Middlebrook. 

September 12. As soon as General McClellan, with his staff and 
the reserve artillery, had passed, the Battalion moved out. We 
stopped awhile at Markesburg, finally camping at Ilyattstown. 

September 13. The march was taken up at 6 a. m., the Battalion 
camping for the night 1 mile short of the Monocacy, in sight of 
Frederick, Aid. 

September 14. Moved at 9.30 a. m. The road was so choked 
with wagons and artillery that we took to the open fields. We 
crossed the Catoetin Mountain, and, in the distance, along the 
crests of Turners and Cramptons Gap, we could see the close of 
the Battle of South Mountain. 

On Monday, September 15, we moved at 6.30 a. m., with three 
days’ rations in our haversacks. We stopped for some time at 
General McClellan’s headquarters, after which we started out on 
a rapid, hard march, and arrived at the summit of Turners Gap 
after dark, where we bivouacked on the site of the previous day’s 
battle. 

September 16. Had reveille at 4 a. m. We found to our sur¬ 
prise that we had been lying among the dead of the enemy. After 
a breakfast, with these silent companions by our board, we moved 
out at 6 a. m., reaching Boonsboro at 7.15, the road being choked, as 
usual, with trains and ambulances. We counter-marched a short 
distance, then marched to Keedysville. The hospital and trains 
of the Battalion, with the camp men and the sick, went into camp 
at Keedysville.* At 3.50 p. m. an orderly came in, and the Bat¬ 
talion marched immediately to the front. We passed through 

* Later, during the Battle of Antietam, every one of these extra men, inclu¬ 
ding the sick, were ordered to the front. 



23 


Sumner's and Porter’s Corps, rested a while in the rear of the 
artillery, reaching General Headquarters at 4 p. m. At 5 p. m., 
we marched forward to a ford on Antietam Creek, taking our arms. 
We made two fords, one for artillery and the other for infantry, 
by carrying stone and paving the bottom in the soft places. The 
tool wagons arrived later. The approaches were graded and the 
work completed at 10.20 p. m., after which we marched back to a 
hill and bivouacked in the woods. 

September 17. Reveille at 4 a. m. Rations for three days were 
issued. Our position overlooked the fords we had made, and af¬ 
forded a fine view of the portion of the battle in the vicinity. At 
5 p. m. the firing ceased, and we built another crossing for infantry. 
We marched for about an hour along the outskirts of the battlefield 
before bivouacking for the night. 

September 18. * Reveille at 4 a. m. Twenty rounds of ammuni¬ 
tion were issued. The Battalion acted as infantry, supporting 
Randoll’s Battery, which was posted opposite the center of the 
line. 

September 19. We carried forty rounds of ammunition in our 
cartridge boxes and twenty in our pockets. The Battalion marched 
back to the ford and crossed Burnsides Bridge, on the way to 
Sharpsburg. At 1.15 the Battalion was fired upon by artillery. 
Firing ceased at 5 p. m., the enemy retreating across the Potomac. 

September 20. During the day we acted as the support of a 
battery of artillery. After being relieved, at about 4, we started 
for Harpers Ferry, bivouacking under the bluffs near the Antietam 
Iron Works. 

September 21. At 6 a. m., the march was continued through a 
rough and hilly country to Harpers Ferry. We reached Sandy 
Hook, Md., opposite Harpers Ferry, at 10.30 a. m., and camped 
between the canal and the railroad. At dark we went to the site 
of the destroyed bridge across the Potomac and commenced raising 
the pontons, which had been scuttled, burnt, and sunk at the recent 
surrender of Harpers Ferry. 

September 22. The ponton boats were repaired with such ma¬ 
terial as could be procured handily, principally boards from 
cracker boxes. During the night the ponton trains arrived by 
the railroad, the Fiftieth New York Volunteer Engineers in charge. 
Company C unloaded the boats from the cars and put them on pon¬ 
ton wagons, after which they were taken by a very difficult ford to 


24 


an island in the river, the men wading ahead to guide the drivers 
of* the wagons. The work continued throughout the night. 

September 23. The carpenters put abutment sills in position 
for a ponton bridge to be built at the same point as the old one. 
The bridge was completed two days later, September 25. 

On September 27 a bridge of sixteen boats was thrown across the 
Shenandoah, near the site of the flying bridge of the previous 
March. 

The Battalion remained in camp until October 13, performing 
only the duties of guarding and caring for the bridge. 

On October 8 the whole Battalion was placed in arrest, because 
of too much merrymaking the night before. 

On October 14 camp was moved to a large, open field at Mount 
Pleasant, where battalion and company drills were ordered to be 
held daily. 

October 16. Details commenced work on a bridge on the Shen¬ 
andoah River. A temporary suspension bridge was thrown. 

October 17-21 were spent in drilling and usual duties. 

October 21. Orders were read that transfers could be made from 
the volunteer troops. Recruiting commenced very actively the 
next day, and by the 29th the Battalion had been recruited to 
nearly 500 men. 

October 24. The building of a ponton bridge at Berlin was be¬ 
gun. This bridge, which consisted of sixty-one boats and one trestle, 
was crossed by General Burnside and his troops, advancing into 
Virginia, on the 28th of October. 

October 31. Worked at the ferry. 

FREDERICKSBURG CAMPAIGN. 

The usual duties were performed on the 1st and 2d of November, 
and on the 3d the Battalion broke camp and marched across Berlin 
Bridge, joining in the general advance of the Army. The men 
were delighted to move out once more. The march was continued 
daily until we went into camp on the 8th, together with the bulk 
of the Army, a mile beyond Warrenton, Ya. 

On the 10th of November standing orders were issued that there 
should be one hour’s battalion drill daily, beginning at 9 a. m., 
and squad drills for recruits at 10 a. m. 

The Battalion remained at Warrenton until the 17th, on which 
day that place was left behind, in conformity with a general move- 


25 


ment,® camp being; made for the night beyond Catletts Station. 

The next day a long march was made. Pickets were put out 
from the Battalion, after camping, as we w r ere in advance and 
isolated from the rest of the Army. 

On November 19 w r e marched through Stafford Court House, and 
on the 20th camped within 2 miles of Falmouth, the great camp 
of the Army of the Potomac during the subsequent operations 
about Fredericksburg. The night was cold and tempestuous, and 
the corporals of the guard constantly w T ent the rounds of the sen¬ 
tinels for fear they might succumb to the storm. 

In the afternoon of the 24th we were detailed into bridge build¬ 
ing parties. A party went out to prepare abutment sills for a 
bridge across the Rappahannock, returning to camp the next day. 

Thanksgiving Day, November 27, was celebrated as well as pos¬ 
sible. 

On the 28th a new camp was made near General Headquarters, 
our final one during the campaign at Fredericksburg. No orders 
were issued for preparing regular winter quarters, but, neverthe¬ 
less, as the w r eather grew colder, huts and sod houses were grad¬ 
ually built by the men at the place where ranks w^ere broken this 
dav. . . 

The Battalion remained in camp until December 10, guarding 
and equipping the bridge trains. On that day, at 10 p. m., the 
Battalion, with its train, moved toward the river, preceded by the 
Fiftieth New York Engineers and followed by the Fifteenth. At 
about 3 o’clock the next morning the boats w r ere unloaded, near 
. what w^as to become “Franklins Crossing,” and dragged across 
a ploughed field to the edge of the bluff, down which they were 
carefully carried to the water. The balks, chess, etc., w^ere also 
carried down and put noiselessly in their proper places. There 
was a narrow strip of level ground here, with a low shore at the 
river’s edge, altogether a favorable location for a bridge. 5 

One of the enemy’s pickets could be seen on the other shore, 
walking to and fro by a fire, but he was not aware of our operations 

until, just at daylight, when our boats w^ere pushed into the water 
__ / 

oGen. Ambrose Burnside, who had relieved General McClellan of the com¬ 
mand of the Army of the Potomac, gave orders for a concentration of the 
Army at Falmouth, Va., with a view to a sudden attack on the Confederate 
forces at Fredericksburg. 

&The Fifteenth New York Volunteer Engineers were beginning the construc¬ 
tion of another bridge upstream, and the Fiftieth Regiment one opposite the 
city. 



and his attention attracted. Seizing a brand from the fire ho 
waived it over his head a number of times. Signal guns fired 
from in back of the city aroused the hostile army, and, released 

i 

from all necessity of keeping silence, we pushed the work of con¬ 
struction as rapidly as possible. A detachment of infantry formed 
along the shore for our protection, and a battery of artillery went 
into position above us on the bluff. After the Battalion had some 
ten boats placed, Lieutenant Cross, with the abutment party, went 
over to the opposite bank, his detachment being undoubtedly the 
first of the Federals to gain the opposite shore. A line of the 
enemy’s skirmishers filed out from behind a house on the opposite 
bluff and poured in a rapid fire upon the Engineers. The lashers 
remained in the front boats, but others of the men were driven in 
some confusion from the pontons and sought protection behind the 
bridge material or in hollows in the ground. Our arms were stacked 
in rear of the protecting battery, except those of a few men who 
were not on active duty; these latter engaged in the fire with the 
infantry and artillery. The enemy occupied the house for some 
time, and annoyed us a great deal until they were forced away. 
In the meantime, it had been found that some of the abutment 
party had been left behind on the opposite shore. Lieutenant 
Cross called for volunteers, and the entire party was rescued, with 
the exception of one man who was captured. The bridge was com¬ 
pleted at 10 a. m., December 11, although no troops crossed until 
toward sunset. 

Twenty men were later left on guard at the bridge, and the re¬ 
mainder of the Battalion returned to the main camp, wet, tired, 
and hungry. On the way we saw the columns of grave and silent 
infantry stretching away in the dusk, massed, and waiting to cross 
the Rappahannock and engage in the deadly and, destined to be, 
fruitless onslaught on the Confederate forces. 

The next two days were spent by the Battalion in camp, except 
for the guard at the bridge. On the 13th, the day of the Battle of 
Fredericksburg, orders were given for all to stay in camp within 
call. Company D, in the afternoon, went with tools to the bridge, 
remaining all night, without blankets, and under orders to be 
ready to go to work at a moment’s notice. At 8 p. m. they made a 
short trestle bridge for the convenience of the ambulances. 

December 14. At daylight Company D put two trestle bridges 
across the run near by, resetting the one constructed the evening 
before, as it had sunk considerably. Their bivouac was near the 


bridge, and their fire and coffee were a great comfort to the 
wounded returning from the battle. Company D was relieved by 
Company A at 10 a. m. 

December 15. At 11 p. m. the Battalion, under arms, went to 
the bridge at Franklins Crossing, on the way meeting the infantry 
and artillery returning from the battle. 

December 16. The last picket crossed the bridge about 3 a. m., 
with news that the enemy had continued fortifying all night. 
Shortly afterwards the order was given to dismantle the bridge, the 
Battalion bridge being the last one taken up. The dismantling 
was done very quietly. The chess and balk carriers removed their 
shoes to avoid noise, and the anchors were not raised, the hawsers 
being cut successively as the bridge was dismantled. A boat was 
kept running to ferry across the stragglers. The Engineers were 
supported during this work by a brigade of infantry and a bat¬ 
tery of artillery. About daylight, the enemy pushed forward 
some skirmishers through the woods, causing our men to form at 
their stacks of arms; but the skirmishers were driven back by the 
Federal artillery. When the ponton wagons arrived, the boats and 
material were loaded on them, and the Rappahannock left behind. 

December 17 was spent in camp at Falmouth cleaning the mud 
from our clothes. 

December 19. A 600-foot shed for the animals was constructed, 
covered with pine boughs, and protected likewise from the north 
winds. 


December 20. Bitter cold. 

December 21. Sunday. Inspection. 

December 23-30. The Battalion was occupied in settling down 
for the winter camp. 

The 25th the pontons were all sent to Belle Plain, on the Poto¬ 
mac, but were returned December 31. Six months’ pay was due 
the command at muster, the 31st. 

January 1, 1863, New Year’s Day. Lieutenant Cross left in the 
morning for Washington; Second Lieut. George L. Gillespie, Corps 
of Engineers, succeeding temporarily to the command of the Bat¬ 
talion. 

January 3. More pontons arrived. 

January 4. Inspection. 

January 6. Lieutenant Cross returned from Washington. 

January 7-8. Skirmish drill. 

January 9. Skirmish drill. Several men of the Battalion were 


28 


started out on topographical surveying work, Lieutenant Cross 
having brought some drawing materials and instruments for sur¬ 
veying on his return from Washington. 

January 10-13. As usual. 

January 14. Left camp at G a. m. and marched to Belle Plain, 
where we worked dragging ponton boats from the water of the 
Potomac and loading them on wagons, the latter being themselves 
unloaded from barges. Forty-four boats and eleven chess wagons 
were fitted up and parked. We returned to camp at 4 p. m. 

January 15. Skirmish drills. 

January 16. Sergeant Putnam, Company D, with seven men, 
went to Belle Plain and brought up the train loaded January 14, 
parking it near camp. 

On January 20th orders were received to be ready to fall in at a 
moment’s notice, with one day’s rations in the haversacks. The 
pontons moved out, and at 10 a. m. we embarked upon what has 
passed into history as the “Mud March.”* 

At first the ground was frozen and good progress was made, but 
at about dark it began to rain and the ground thawed out and broke 
up. As the darkness increased, the boat train became separated, 
a wagon occasionally becoming mired, and delays occurring. The 
teamsters were worn out from loss of food and incessant urging of 
their animals. It was discovered that linch-pins were treacher¬ 
ously being pulled out, and guards were put at each wagon, with 
orders to bayonet the first man found meddling with the wheels. 
At one time the Battalion was halted to await orders, while Lieu¬ 
tenant Cross went forward to find out the way and the condition of 
the train. To avoid the cold wind the men changed their posi¬ 
tions, one after another, to the lee of their comrades, moving in this 
way quite a distance before the Battalion again marched out. If 
a man stumbled out of his way a few yards he was lost. The 
guards stood faithfully by the boats to which they were detailed, 
but some of the drivers, desperate at last from the hopelessness of 
the affair, and thinking only of their animals, unhitched and rode 
away. The majority of the drivers stayed by the wagons to the 
last, and were without rest or food for twenty-four hours. Lieu¬ 
tenant Cross, with those of the Battalion who were not with the 

*General Burnside, to regain the confidence of the Army, after the defeat 
at Fredericksburg, had conceived the plan of crossing the Rappahannock a few 
miles above the city at Banks Ford, where the enemy was unprepared to re¬ 
ceive an attack. 


\ 



29 


boats, kept at the front and toiled the whole night, working the 
wagons along as best they could. At one turn in the road, a chess 
wagon was upset into the stream, and the mules would have 
drowned had not some of the men held their heads above water 
while others, getting into the stream, unloaded the chess and pulled 
out the wagon, which was reloaded and again moved forward. 

At daylight the road was so poor, and the animals so exhausted, 
that the boats were taken from the wagons and an attempt made 
to draw them over the mud, some progress being made in this way. 
After a short time we went to a pine thicket near by, and made 
bough houses and started fires. A regular battery had pulled in 
near by, and Lieutenant Cross procured from them some hardtack, 
which was our first food for twenty hours. We managed to dry 
ourselves and to obtain some sleep in our overcoats. It rained all 
day, and the next; but on the 23d, about noon, the Battalion 
tumbled back into camp at Falmouth, utterly exhausted. The 
Engineers probably had by far the worst of the experience, two of 
the men dying in the hospital from the exhaustion and exposure of 
the trip. This unfortunate expedition had no* result other than 
the amusement of the enemy, who put up boards along the river 
bank with derisive inscriptions, prominent among them being one: 
“Burnside’s Mud Scrape.” 

January 24. The Battalion, with three days’ rations, went out 
to recover the boats abandoned during the ‘ £ Mud March, ’ ’ and suc¬ 
ceeded the next day in getting the train parked on a hill about 
3 miles from camp. 

January 26. Sergeant Coughlan, of D Company, with five men, 
went to Aquia Creek, a base of supplies on the Potomac, to lay out 
fortifications. 

January 31. This miserable month came to an end in mud and 
snow, no event of importance to the Battalion occurring after the 
“Mud March.” 

February 1. Sergeant Putnam, Company D, with a detail, went 
to Aquia Creek to lay out works under Lieutenant Mackenzie. 

February 2. Major-General Hooker, who had relieved Burnside 
of the command, set out to put the Army in better spirits by issuing 
furloughs more liberally and by generally anticipating the wants 
of the men. All began to recover from the depression of the 
winter. 

February 3. A detail of some twelve men under Sergt. James E. 


30 


Wilson, Company A, left with camp outfit and wagons to engage 
in topographical surveying at Aquia Creek. 

February 8. Sunday. A party of thirty-eight left in heavy 
marching order, with tools, to engage in fortification work at 
Aquia Creek. 

February 10. Details were at work constructing fortifications 
at Aquia and Potomac creeks, also stockades at Brooks and other 
stations along the railroad between Aquia Creek and Fredericks¬ 
burg. Surveys were made and drawings prepared for a report to 
General Headquarters. The boat train was turned over to the 
volunteer engineers. 

February 11. The topographical party returned from Aquia 
Creek to the main camp at Falmouth. 

February 14. A small party under Sergeant Pratt went off, 
with two days' rations, to work on the fort at Brooks Station. The 
sally-ports were changed and the ground cleared off. The next 
day the same party profiled a redoubt 50 feet square. From the 
16th to the 20th of February, this party, with the One-hundred 
and forty-ninth New York Volunteers as a fatigue party, were en¬ 
gaged in building a redoubt at Brooks Station to guard the rail¬ 
road. Afterwards, at Potomac Creek Station, they constructed a 
redoubt with a stockade. 

On March 13 the details came in from Aquia Creek, the fortifi¬ 
cations having been completed. On the 14th and 15th, the details 
returned from work on the fortifications along the railroad. 

March 23. Standing orders were issued for ponton drill, each 
company being assigned a certain day. Companies C and D went 
to Belle Plain and loaded the material into the boats, then rowed 
to Potomac Creek, where a ponton drill was held. 

March 24. Usual ponton drills, and drill in camp. 

March 30. Companies C and D were engaged in target practise. 

April 2. Target practise. 

April 6. Company B cut poles for carrying pontons. The Bat¬ 
talion also laid out a place for a grand parade, where the cavalry 
the same day passed in review before President Lincoln, and, on 
the 8th, the infantry of the Third and Sixth Corps. 

April 9. Battalion drill and target practise. 

April 10. General inspection and muster. The Battalion pre¬ 
sented a fine appearance, receiving, as the proud event of the day, 
a silk National flag. Company D acted as escort to the colors. 

April 11. Company C went to Potomac Creek for ponton drill, 


31 


ami after drill brought the bridge material across from the opposite 
shore. 

CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN. 

April 14. The men turned in their old cartridges and drew 
sixty rounds of fresh ammunition. 

April 15. All extra clothing was packed to send to Washington. 
Four months’ pay was received. 

April 21. Drills were suspended. Details were sent out to put 



the boat train in repair, the Battalion once more having a train 
under its charge. A fatigue detail from Company B repaired the 
roads toward the river. 

On the 22d, no one was allowed to leave camp. Fatigue parties 
were out repairing the roads again. The boat train was parked 
near Captain Sand’s house. The mules were kept harnessed, 
ready to be hitched to the wagons. At tattoo, the men were de¬ 
tailed into parties for building a bridge; but, although elaborate 
])reparations were made, no bridge was built. Again on the 27th, 
when Company B was ordered to the train, the plans were changed 
and no bridge built. The delays were caused, no doubt, by the 









heavy rains and bad roads, which were playing havoc with all of 
General Hooker’s plans at the time. 

April 25th to 28th were occupied with usual drills, and in cut¬ 
ting poles with which to carry ponton boats. 

April 28. The Union forces were at last to enter on an active 
campaign. At 3 p. m. the Battalion fell in, under arms, with one 
day’s rations in the haversacks, and went to the train. After the 
infantry of the Sixth Corps, which, together with the First Corps, 
was about to make a strong feint on the Confederate left, had 
passed, we moved the train forward about 1 mile, under the 
screen of the woods, and some fifty boats were unloaded from the 
wagons and carried to the river’s edge by the infantry, using the 
carrying poles which had been prepared. The abutment boats, 
with sills already lashed in place, as well as the balk and chess 
wagons, followed as quietly as possible, well to the rear. 

A battery had gone into position on the bluff to cover the cross¬ 
ing. The boats were manned by Engineers, and some infantry 
were ferried across. There was a heavy fog in the bottom which 
hid the movement of the boats as they started out, but when they 
were about two-thirds the distance across, the enemy opened fire, 
wounding several men; in a moment, however, our infantry had 
them prisoners. At daylight, after four trips had been made, 
ferrying the infantrymen across, active work was begun on the 
bridge, which was built at the site of the one of December 11, 1862, 
at Franklins Crossing. Some of the enemy’s pickets opened fire 
from the right and, finally, drove away the front lashers. Lieu¬ 
tenant Gillespie called on the men nearest him, who happened all 
to be non-commissioned officers, to take their places, and they con¬ 
tinued lashing until the bridge was finished, after about an hour’s 
work, at 8 a. m., April 29. The bridge was crossed the same 
morning. 


As soon as the bridge and approaches were completed, the men 
went back of the bluff and had coffee and a rest. The Battalion, 
which from this time had two bridges in its charge, returned to 
camp about noon, leaving the necessary guard at the river. 

April 30. Some artillery firing occurred during dress parade, 
preliminary to the coming battle of Chancellorsville, May 1-5. 

On the 2d day of May there was considerable skirmishing in 
front of our bridges; one of the boats was injured by a shell and 
had to be replaced. From near the Engineer camp could be seen 
the bursting of shells at the right and west of Fredericksburg. 


33 


Brisk artillery firing took place near the bridges at Frank¬ 
lins Crossing on Sunday morning, May 3. Just before inspection 
the Battalion was ordered to fall in quickly, under arms. We 
marched rapidly to the bridges, and on arrival divided them into 
four rafts and rowed them up to the city of Fredericksburg. The 
enemy followed and fired at the rafts, but without hitting them. 
They were again made into a bridge, located just below the de¬ 
stroyed railroad bridge, the structure being finished in twenty 
minutes. The site of the former bridge at Franklins Crossing 
was shelled, and we received a few shots as we returned along the 
river bank to get our arms. The Sixth Corps, attacking Lee’s 
rear, began to force its way in back of Fredericksburg, and at 12.30 
charged and carried Maryes Heights. The sight of the attack was 
.an inspiring one. The cheers of the troops as they charged were 
plainly heard, and answered by us. Company D was left on guard 
at the bridge, while the other companies returned to camp. Com¬ 
pany B relieved Company D at 3 p. m. 

May 4. At 11 a. m. the Battalion was turned out with sixty 
rounds of ammunition, and proceeded to the bridge at Fredericks¬ 
burg. During the day rifle pits were dug on the north side of the 
Rappahannock, and those on the opposite shore filled up. The 
wounded kept returning all day long. At 6 p. in. we swung the 
bridge to the north side of the river. The Battalion bivouacked 
just back of the pits. The Battalion guard, with loaded rifles, 
occupied the rifle pits, and each hour some one of the guard would 
go down to the bridge to see that it was all right. 

Before daylight, May 5, the Battalion turned out and dismantled 
the bridge, pulling the boats and carrying all the material up the 
bluff by hand. Afterwards, we had something to eat. A detail 
went to Franklins Crossing, the former site of the bridge, and 
piled up the material that had been left there. The Battalion and 
the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry occupied the rifle pits all 
d^y, these two organizations making up practically the entire force 
opposite the city. The great battle was over, the Union hopes again 
destroyed, and the Army once more in its old position north of the 
Rappahannock. 

The next morning teams came down with wagons, and the boats 
and material were loaded up and taken to near the camp of the 
Fifteenth New York Engineers. The ravines were almost impas¬ 
sable, because of a terrific rain the afternoon before. The Bat¬ 
talion arrived at the main camp at Falmouth at 2 p. m. 


34 

May 7. A detail worked on the train, putting it in order, and 
on the 8th the boat trains were ready for another move. 

Until June 2d the Battalion was occupied in the usual camp 
duties, in drilling, and in cutting poles for carrying boats. On 
May 18, a new location for General Headquarters was laid out and 
cleaned, eastward of the Engineer camp. On the 19th the winter 
camp was broken up, and a new camp laid out for the Battalion; 
the ground was made level and tents used entirely. On the 24th 
of May, castles and letters were again issued to the men of the Bat¬ 
talion. # 

May 26. A course in practical engineering was commenced, 
and a three-gun battery laid out. 

May 31. Sergeant Farr laid out some additional works at Aquia 
Creek. 

June 2. Skirmish drill was held in the morning. 

June 3. Morning drill was omitted. It was rumored that the 
enemy were massing on the right, where some fighting was heard 
in the afternoon. 


GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN. 

June 4. We were routed out at 1.30 a. m., and had orders to 
pack up as quietly as possible and be ready to move, except for 
striking tents. Arms were stacked on the company parade grounds 
and company and commissary stores were loaded into wagons. At 
reveille, at 4 a. m., we were told to rest and wait for orders. Two 
days’ rations were issued, and orders given to be ready to fall 
in, with arms, and in marching order, at any time during the 
day. Dress parade, however, was held as usual. All night the 
sentinels were kept on the alert, and the guard, which was destined 
to have three days of continuous duty, was turned out three times 
before morning. 

June 5. Company drill was held from 6 to 7 a. m. We also 
worked on the battery as usual, breaking off at 11 a. in. Shortly 
after dinner, an order was received to take arms and one day’s 
rations, and to leave knapsacks packed and blankets rolled. The 

*None had been worn since January, 1862. In 1861, only the men of Com¬ 
pany A, of whom there w r ere comparatively few, wore the Engineer insignia, 
which would pass them anywhere around Washington. Later, wdien the Fif¬ 
teenth and Fiftieth New' York Volunteers, numbering 2,000 men, as well as 
the new regular companies, entered the lists, the privilege was sometimes 
imposed upon, and Captain Duane took the castles from the caps of the Bat¬ 
talion men as the best solution of the difficulty. 



35 


Battalion left camp just before 1 p. m. and marched to the foot of 
the bluff near the old crossing below Fredericksburg. The volun¬ 
teer engineers were at the same point, with boat trains, but the 
artillery and infantry support did not arrive until 4 p. m. The 
artillery, on arrival, took position on the bluff, and opened fire on 
the rifle pit on the other shore, which was occupied by about sixty 
men. As soon as the artillery opened, the Battalion moved for¬ 
ward at a “right shoulder shift,” and, as they came near the bank, 
the command was given: ‘ ‘ Double quick! ” at which we went down 
the bank to the river, stacked arms, and then lay down in a little 
depression until the volunteer engineers could unload the boats 
and other material. At the same time the wagons were driven 
down to the river edge. The enemy opened a galling fire. Our 
artillery also kept up a furious fire, but it could not entirely 
silence the enemy’s sharpshooters. Several of the men made nar¬ 
row escapes. At last the boats were unloaded and manned by boat 
parties. Another detail of infantry came down the bank and went 
into the boats. The Confederate sharpshooters increased their 
fire. There was a little confusion, and just as Captain Cross 
stepped into the first boat, saying, “Come, men, we must build 
this bridge,” a bullet struck him in the head. He was instantly 
killed, and, as he was carried back, the men of Company B, for¬ 
getting all danger, gathered around his prostrate form and cried 
like children.* But the boatmen did not hesitate to push out. The 
boats were leaking badly, and had to be bailed to keep afloat. One 
boat was nearly sunk to the gunwhale as it touched the far shore. 
The infantry rushed out promptly and charged the pit, the enemy 
throwing up their hands and surrendering. The bridge was 
quickly built by the volunteer engineers, there not being enough 
boats to build a second one as intended. The Battalion returned 
to camp at 10 p. m. 

June 6. Company B escorted the remains of Captain Cross to 
Falmouth Station. 

Companies A, B, and C were turned out during the night to get 
rations and roll blankets. Company D was also held awaiting 
orders, with one day’s rations, and blankets rolled 

At 1 p. m. the next day we went down to the bridges at Frank¬ 
lins Crossing and laid out a line extending from the ruins of the 

^Company A had five men wounded, one fatally; and Company B one man 
wounded, besides Captain Cross, who was killed. 



36 

Bernard house to Deep Run. The old rifle pits had already been 
leveled. 

June 8. A detail under Sergeant Taylor, of D Company, calked 
the boats at the park. Companies A, B, and C, an hundred men, 
went to the bridges, with tools, and with six rounds of cartridges in 
their pockets. They constructed a rifle pit in a more advanced 
position, returning to camp about 6 p. m. ther 9th. 

June 9-10. Usual duties and details for bridges and train. En¬ 
gineer drill was held on the 10th. 

June 11. The command was paid off. Sergeant Farr, of Com¬ 
pany D, laid out a battery at the bridge. 

General Lee had started once more to invade the North. The 
Battalion was kept under orders to be ready to move at a moment’s 
notice. The officers selected a picked boat train, accepting only 
such boats as were not liable to leak. 

June 12. Twenty-eight gabions were made and taken to the 
front of the Sixth Corps. All the boat trains were taken to the 
Potomac at Belle Plain. 

June 13. At noon orders were received to have knapsacks 
packed. Skirmish and engineer drills were held. At 3 p. m. 
further orders were received to pack up and be ready to leave in 
two hours. Some ammunition was destroyed. At 5.30 the Bat¬ 
talion marched out of the old camp, which it had occupied for 
seven months. The place was in fine shape, the parades smooth 
and hard as a floor. Many associations were grounded in the very 
soil. On the hill was the little graveyard, where rested our silent 
comrades. But there was no time for reflections. A hurried 
march was made to Aquia Creek, with one rest only, and we biv¬ 
ouacked a short distance above the landing at 11.30 p. m. 

June 14. The train came in at daylight. We had some coffee 
at 4 a. m., after which the Battalion marched to the landing and 
embarked on the steamer Sylvan Shore, taking in tow a raft of 
sixteen boats. The train went back to Brooks Station, and then 
proceeded toward Alexandria. At 9 a. m. the steamer left Aquia 
Creek, going up the Potomac. Upon reaching the mouth of the 
Occoquan we disembarked on the rafts, and rowed to the village. 
The Battalion, on arrival at 2.30 p. m., put out a bridge of four¬ 
teen boats across the Occoquan and graded the approaches. A reg¬ 
ular camp was made on the north bank, above the bridge. The 
trains and troops, marching to repel Lee’s Army, came very soon, 


37 


and kept crossing all night, involving constant hard work in keep¬ 
ing the bridge in order. 

The Battalion broke camp at 10 a. m., June 15. Company C, in 
marching order, went down the north bank to Colchester Ferry, 
Company D repairing to the same place on rafts. The Fiftieth 
New York Engineers were there with a boat train, which was soon 
unloaded, and a bridge of twenty-seven boats built. This point 
had been blockaded at one time by the enemy, and Company D re¬ 
moved pile’s and other obstructions. Company C filled up rifle 
pits on the south side of the river. After assisting in building the 
bridge, the Fiftieth New York moved on, leaving the Battalion in 
charge. 

The bridge was crossed by the heavy artillery, the caissons being 
taken over separately. The weight of the guns settled the boats 
very deep in the water, but the bridge was steady and firm. The 
hardest task of all was to cross the herds of horses and cattle, but 
they were managed very nicely by getting them close to the head of 
the bridge; two men then taking an oar between them, and each 
walking close to the rail, allowed the leading animals to push them 
slowly across the bridge. There was no stampede, nor was there a 
single animal crowded overboard. At 8.30 p. m. the bridge was 
broken up into rafts of four boats each, which were rowed back to 
the anchorage. Several of the rafts ran aground,owing to the falling 
tide, and it was long after midnight before the pontons were safely 
anchored with the others. The upper bridge was also taken up, in 
the same way. The Battalion slept on the rafts. 

We broke our moorings at 5 a. m., June 16, the rafts being taken 
in tow by the steamer Sylvan Shore. At noon, we arrived at Alex¬ 
andria, and went into camp near the railroad. Our train came in 
during the day, and we parked near the river. At 9.15, orders 
were received to arrange the pontons into rafts of four boats each, 
two abreast. They were then taken in tow and we proceeded up 
the river, reliefs being detailed to steer and to keep the boats lashed 
together. 

June 17. Arriving at daylight at the entrance of the Chesa¬ 
peake and Ohio Canal, at Rock Creek, Georgetown, the rafts were 
put into the canal. We remained here until noon, “General per¬ 
mission ” being given for a few hours. 

At noon we moved up the canal. It was deserted, and the men 
of the Battalion had to attend to working the locks. The darky 
drivers finally began to fall asleep, and some of the men took their 
places. We kept on all night, passing through thirteen locks. 


38 


During the night, some of the men forgot they were not on dry 
land and walked off into the water. 0 

June 18. The Battalion arrived at the mouth of the Monocacy 
River at 6.30 in the evening. A cavalry force, on picket there, 
crossed the river on a scout at dark. We slept on our arms, ready 
to turn out at any moment. A sentinel was posted at each raft. 

June 19. At 11 a. m. we left the canal, and went into camp on 
the shore. At 6 p. m. we broke camp and started to return hur¬ 
riedly down the canal. Rifles and belts were kept on, as there 
were rumors of a scouting party of the enemy in the vicinity. 

At 3 a. m., June 20, the Battalion arrived at Edwards Ferry, 
and at daylight went into camp. The men were nearly exhausted 
for lack of sleep. At 8.30 p. m., we were turned out to construct a 
bridge across the Potomac River, the Fifteenth and Fiftieth New 
York Engineers being also engaged in the work. A fire was kept 
burning on the Virginia shore to aid in the alignment of the bridge. 
The rafts had to be dismantled, the boats locked from the canal 
into the river, the ropes sorted and disentangled, and balks and 
chess collected and put in place. 

But the work went along rapidly and smoothly, and the bridge,, 
which was finished at daylight, June 21, was a creditable work to 
be constructed under such difficulties, it was 1,340 feet in length, 
and consisted of sixty-four boats and three crib trestles, the latter 
making up for a deficiency in the number of boats. On completion 
of the bridge, the troops commenced crossing. Heavy firing, in 
the direction of Leesburg, Va., was heard at 9 a. m. b Details were 
left out in charge of the bridge and its approaches. 

A detachment of Company B went to a mill on Goose Creek, Vir¬ 
ginia, and opened the sluiceways of a dam, letting the water out, so 
that the stream could be forded. 

June 22. The bridge and approaches were kept in order. The 
guard was changed, after being on duty for thirty-six hours. 

June 23. Companies A and C threw a bridge of eleven boats 
across the mouth of Goose Creek, near the Virginia end of our 
bridge over the Potomac. The Engineer camp was moved from 
the canal to higher ground. 

June 24. The camp was moved to yet higher ground. The 

fl Lieut. Ranald S. Mackenzie was one of those who slipped an took an un¬ 
welcome plunge. One of the drummer boys reached down for him, asking, 
“Who is it?” Mackenzie replied, shivering, “Only a lieutenant.” 

&The cavalry fight at Aldis. 



39 


massing of the troops of the Army on the Virginia side, preparatory 
to erossing the Potomac, was an interesting spectacle. We repaired 
a short bridge across the canal, and locked a number of ponton 
boats, which had just arrived, into the river. 

June 25. At 9 a. m. the men went out on fatigue duty, fixing 
abutments and approaches to a second bridge at Edwards Ferry, 
which was put out by the Fiftieth New York Engineers. The cav¬ 
alry came up the tow path, and a detail fixed a crossing for them 
over the canal. 

June 26. General Hooker was moving again, in parallel to the 
invading forces of General Lee. The troops were crossing con¬ 
tinually, involving constant hard work on the part of the Engineers 
to keep everything in shape. 

The Battalion was rejoined by its wagon train, which had been 
left behind at Alexandria when the Battalion started up the canal 
on June 16. The train left Alexandria on the 19th, and went into 
camp near the Navy Yard at Washington, staying there until the 
24th, when it moved out to rejoin the Battalion at Edwards Ferry. 

June 27. The lower bridge was taken up during the day, and 
the other one at dark, as soon as the troops finished crossing to the 
Maryland side. Some of the boats were loaded on wagons and the 
remainder locked into the canal, the work not being completed until 
midnight. 

June 28. At 6 a. m. the Battalion took up the march, which, 
after the heavy work of the previous night, was an exceedingly 
hard one. The place for the night’s camp, Buckeystown, was not 
reached until after midnight. 

June 29. We moved out at 6 a. m., and marched to Frederick, 
Md., camping at the edge of the town. The Battalion was again 
attached to General Headquarters. During the night, Company B 
was on patrol duty and kept order in the town. 

We were routed out at 1 a. m., and at 2 began the day’s march. 
It was a hard forced march, and four men fainted during muster, 
which was held during a halt just beyond Liberty. The Battalion 
camped at Beaver Dam. 

Julv L The march began at 9 a. m., the Battalion arriving at 
General Headquarters near Taneytown at 5 p. m. The first day’s 
battle at Gettysburg had already been fought by the First and 
Eleventh Corps. The ponton trains, together with a number of our 
sick, under Sergeant Carney, of A Company, left for Washington. 

July 2. Camp was broken and the Battalion started out on the 


40 


road to Gettysburg, but was halted, after a short distance, and 
counter-marched. We took the pike direct to Westminster, Md., 
where we camped at 4 p, m., and about 1 mile beyond the town. 
The Battalion, together with the Headquarters’ cavalry and several 
other small organizations, served as a guard for the Headquarters r 
reserve trains, which were located at this point. Some obstructions 
were put up, in anticipation of an attack by the enemy’s cavalry. 
Company B went out on picket, about 3 miles to the north of 
the town, and obstructed the roads there. The firing of the battle 
at Gett 3 r sburg was very heavy, and could be distinctly heard. 

July 3. Company C relieved Company B on picket, and it was 
in turn relieved by the cavalry in the afternoon. The firing from 
the battle was incessant in the afternoon, but news from the front 
was very meager. Our time was mainly occupied in recuperation, 
as we had worked constantly since leaving Falmouth, and the good 
effects of rest and plenty of food were soon apparent. 

The next day was the Fourth of July, but no celebration was 
thought necessary. A great number of prisoners were brought in 
and kept in a field near us. # Company D went on picket at sun¬ 
down. 

July 5. Company A was on picket duty. 

July 6. We broke camp at 7 a. m., and made a hard march to 
Union Bridge, the Army being in pursuit of Lee’s retreating 
forces. 

July 7. Reveille at 3 a. m. We marched at 6. On the march 
we passed some of the famous Seventh Regiment of New York; 
they did look so trim and clean, and we so rough and covered 
with mud. Camp was made at Frederick, during a miserable 
rain. Both officers and men were cross and tired, after our 
march of 22 miles through the mud. 

We started out at 6 a. m. the next morning, marching through 
Frederick, then counter-marching, in a drenching rain, and finally 
camping just beyond Middleton, at General Meade’s headquarters. 
Fighting occurred ahead of us. 

July 9. Owing to the trains crowding the roads, we did not 
move until noon, when we followed the Sixth Corps. After a 
short march, we camped on our old camp ground of September, 
1862, at Turners Gap. Firing continued to the front. 


"Corporal Mix, of Company C, had an interview with a prisoner, whose com¬ 
mand had been frequently opposed to us, and who was very warm in his com¬ 
mendation of the work of the Battalion. 



41 


•July 10. We moved out at 3 p. m., with Headquarters, along 
the Williamsport road, camping about 3 miles beyond Boons- 
boro. There were many evidences of the sharp cavalry fight that 
had occurred the day before. 

July 11. Reveille at 3.30 a. m. After having come up to a por¬ 
tion of the Sixth Corps, at about 10 a. in., the Battalion stacked 
arms and went to Antietam Creek, where a bridge of four cribs 
was built. The timbers were cut near by, and a barn was torn 
down to secure flooring. The bridge was finished at sundown, the 
troops crossing at night. We camped near by. 

July 12. The Battalion moved out at 1 p. m. We crossed the 
crib bridge, then struck out across lots, passing the headquarters 
of General Sykes, and went into camp at Jones Cross Roads. The 
officers went out at night to trace some works. 

July 13. We remained at Jones Cross Roads. A battle was ex¬ 
pected, but none occurred. At 8 a. m., July 14, word came in that 
the enemy had recrossed the Potomac into Virginia. At 2.30 p. m. 
Captain Mendell received orders from Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. 
Warren,* the Chief Engineer of the Army of the Potomac, to march 
his Battalion at once to Sharpsburg, Md. We moved out at 3 p. in. 
We made a rapid march, camping north of Sharpsburg. A detail 
was on picket in the town at night. 

July 15, at 5 a. m., we started on a forced march for Harpers 
Ferry, arriving at camp at Pleasant Valley, Md., at 1 p. m. We 
were too tired to put up tents; the men had coffee, rested an hour, 
and then went out on fatigue duty. One party repaired the wire 
suspension bridge, replacing part of the flooring that had been cut 
out in an effort to interrupt the communications of the enemy 
while Lee was north of the river. Another detail raised and re¬ 
paired some ponton boats that had been sunk in the canal previous 
to the battle of Gettysburg. 

July 16. Reveille at 3 a. m. A detail from Company D went to 
the suspension bridge, finishing the work on it at noon. Other de¬ 
tails put the ponton boats into the canal and made them into rafts 
to tow to Berlin, Md. The sick went to Berlin in a ponton boat 
that had been repaired. 

July 17. The Battalion moved to Berlin, and went into camp 
back of the village. Requisitions were put in for new clothing. 

July 18. We were routed out at 2 a. m. The Battalion threw 


*Captain, Corps of Engineers. 



a bridge of sixty boats over the Potomac at Berlin, 


which was fin¬ 


ished at 10 a. m. 

July 19. Sunday. Reveille at 2.30 a. in. We moved out at 4 
a. m., crossing into Virginia over the Berlin Bridge, and camped 
at Wheatland, Va., at 6 p. m. Lee was on the retreat down the 
valley of the Shenandoah, and Meade pursuing, but yet interposing 
his Army between Lee and the Capital, moved in parallel east of 
the Blue Ridge. The Battalion, with the remainder of the Army, 
was entering upon its last advance into Virginia. 

July 20. Reveille at 5 a. m. The Battalion moved out at 7 a. in.* 
at times leaving the roads and marching through the fields. The 
train could not keep up. We camped at Union. 

July 21. The wagon train came up after daylight. Camp was 
broken about noon, and we marched to near Goose Creek. After 
making camp we went out to cut timber for a crib bridge, to replace 
the one which had been burned at Goose Creek. 

At noon, July 22, we finished the bridge, which required five 
cribs and was about 75 feet in length; boards were taken from a 
barn for flooring. We marched at 3 p. m. As there were indica¬ 
tions of the presence of the enemy’s cavalry in the vicinity, the 
wagon train guard loaded rifles, and pickets were put out on ar¬ 
rival at camp, which was about 2 miles beyond Middleburg, on 
the Upperville pike. None of our own troops were near us. 

July 23. We marched at 5 a. m., returning through Middleburg, 
and camped at White Plains, near the Sixth Cavalry. Firing was 
heard at 5 p. m. 

We were in camp all day the 24th, but started out at 6.30 p. m.,. 
and made a very rapid march to Warrenton, Va., arriving at 1 a. m. 
the 25th, when we bivouacked. The train was delayed, the tool 
wagon and two quartermaster wagons having tipped over. Later 
in the day we made a new camp near the camp of the preceding 
November. The Battalion went out on fatigue duty, repairing 
roads and preparing a location for the commissary department at 
the railroad; supplies coming in during the evening. 

July 26. Sunday. The church bells were ringing and every¬ 
thing seemed homelike. Inspection was held. Passes were given 
out. 

July 27. In camp all day. There was dress parade at retreat. 


OPERATIONS NEAR THE RAPPAHANNOCK. 

July 28. The Battalion left at 1 p. m., in full marching order, 
and went to Rappahannock Station, on the north fork of the Rap- 


43 


pahannock River, arriving at 8 p. m. A portion of the Battalion 
unloaded boats from the cars during the night. 

July 29. W e moved camp a short distance back from the river, 
and filteen unloaded pontons were withdrawn out of sight of the 
enemy’s pickets. 

July 30. We unloaded boats and material from the cars and put 
them on the wagons. Sergeant Sclilag, of A Company, came in 
with some wagons. 

Toward midnight a detachment made up from Companies B and 
I), with a boat train under charge of Lieutenants Mackenzie and 
Gillespie, left for Kellys Ford on the Rappahannock. The detach¬ 
ment halted at 5 a. m., July 31, about a mile from the ford. The 
enemy’s pickets being observed, the train was concealed, and pick¬ 
ets were put out. About 5 p. m. the Twelfth Corps came up and 
unloaded the boats, putting them into Marsh Creek. As soon as 
it was dark boat parties were detailed, and infantry (Sixty-sixth 
Ohio) taken aboard the boats, which were dropped silently down 
the creek to the Rappahannock, then quickly and quietly taken 
across the river. At the same time, the troops at the ford made 
a considerable noise, as though about to cross; the ruse proving so 
successful that the infantry from the boats succeeded in getting 
in rear of the hostile cavalry picket. The latter rushed to the ford 
and fired a few shots, but the firing was promptly returned and the 
enemy driven off, without casualty on our part. The bridge was 
finished at midnight. A detachment from Companies C and D 
loaded a train at Rappahannock Station, and at dark started out 
for the river. 

Early in the morning of August 1, Company C ferried across 
125 dismounted cavalrymen at the crossing below the railroad 
bridge. Company D afterwards built a bridge of eight boats, fin¬ 
ishing at 10.30 a. m. Firing was heard in the afternoon toward 
Culpepper. Thirty-two men of Company B, at Kellys Ford, were 
sent back to the main camp at Rappahannock Station. A man of 
Company B (Private James Rowan) was drowned while the com¬ 
pany was in bathing.* 

August 14. At dress parade orders were read relieving Captain 
Reese from duty with the Battalion. 

*The Rappahannock is a narrow stream, with a swift current and many 
treacherous holes. It was difficult for ponton work, as a shower would easily 
turn it it inside of fifteen minutes into a boiling- flood, filled with floating trees 
and timber. 



44 


On the 15th some extra boats were taken out of the river, and 
loaded the next day on cars at the railroad. 

August 18. Company B loaded boats at the railroad. Com¬ 
pany A took up a ponton bridge in the afternoon. 

August 19. Another bridge was taken up, thus leaving but one 
in position. Tools were oiled, and tried and inspected by the offi¬ 
cers. The trains were ordered to be ready to move at a moment’s 
notice. 

August 20. A demolition detail went to the railroad bridge and 
prepared one span so that it could be blown up at any moment. 
Nearly two loads of kindling stuff were also cut for ready use. 

August 21st and 22d were spent in usual duties. Inspection was 
held on Sunday, the 23d. 

August 24. Standing orders were received for squad drill be¬ 
tween 6 and 7 every morning. 

Usual duties were performed the 25th and 26th. 

At dress parade the 27th the companies were commanded by 
officers for the first time, instead of by the first sergeants, and an 
officer also acted as adjutant. 

Until the 3d of September there were the usual drills and duties. 
The Battalion was mustered on the 31st. 

September 3. Companies A and B began work on an indented 
line to cover the ponton bridge near the railroad bridge. They 
worked until dark, the fortification being completed the next day. 

September 6. Sunday. Inspection. 

September 7th to 11th were occupied with usual duties and drills. 

September 12. Capt. John W. Barlow and First Lieut. William 
II. II. Benyaurd, Corps of Engineers, were attached to the Bat¬ 
talion. 

September 13. Sunday inspection, An examination was made 
in force across the river. Artillery firing was heard. 

September 14. In the afternoon Company C went to Kellys 
Ford and threw a ponton bridge. A detail from Company B went 
to the woods for abutment sills. Company D threw a ponton 
bridge above the railroad bridge. The advance troops crossed the 
river, and the next day the Army of the Potomac was once more in 
motion, forcing Lee from his position at Culpepper and south of the 
Rapidan. 

September 16. Company C returned from Kellys Ford to the 
main camp at Rappahannock Station. Details were at work on a 
blockhouse and other fortifications at the railroad bridge. Com- 




pany B threw another ponton bridge, above the railroad bridge at 
Beverly Ford, the Fifth Corps immediately crossing. The Bat¬ 
talion also had charge of a bridge about a mile below the railroad 
bridge. The water was low in the river, and, as the old abutments 
were used, the bridges became almost of the suspension form. Boat 
material was very scarce; boards were taken from the soldiers’ huts 
for patching, and small trees cut and lashed to the side balks to 
stiffen the flooring. 

September 17. Work was continued on the fortifications. No 
fires were allowed, on account of a guerrilla attack on our infantry 
camp the night previous. Company B, under arms, went to the 
upper bridge, which was taken up after the Fifth Corps had crossed. 
Work was continued on the blockhouse at the railroad bridge, and 
Companies A and C were engaged in putting up an earthwork, 
almost of the dignity of a redoubt, on the north bank. 

September 18. There was a hard shower, and a freshet in the 
river, the bridge above the railroad bridge having to be swung 
around on account of the driftwood. At work, as usual, on the for¬ 
tifications. 

September 19. Considerable attention had to be given to the 
bridges, on account of the flood in the river. In the afternoon, 
work was resumed on the fortifications. 

September 20. Sunday. At work on the fortifications. The 
men received two months’ pay. 

September 21st was occupied in the usual duties. Work on the 
fortifications was finished on the 22d. Orders were received to 
move the next day. 

September 23. Reveille before daylight. We marched to within 
a mile of Culpepper, in the neighborhood of which the Army of the 
Potomac was camped. The Battalion encamped east of the town, 
at noon. 

September 24. We returned to our old camp at Rappahannock 
Station, arriving at dark. 

September 25. Companies A and B threw a ponton bridge above 
the railroad bridge at Beverly Ford. 

September 26. In camp. The men were notified not to fix up 

their bunks or tents. 

September 27. Sunday. In the afternoon we marched back to 
the Army at Culpepper, camping at the same place as on the 23d. 

From the 28th of September to October 10th the Battalion re¬ 
mained in camp at Culpepper. On the 29th Corporal Sweetland, 


46 


of C Company, was sent to Washington to get our winter clothing, 
which was stored there. The overcoats were received October 3d. 
On the 9th of October eight days’ rations were issued. 

October 10. We built a guardhouse. At 6 p. m. the Battalion 
broke camp and we moved to our former camp at Rappahannock 
Station, reaching there at 11 p. m. The Confederates were ma¬ 
neuvering to turn the Union right and cut the communications 
with Washington. General Meade had fallen back on the Rappa¬ 
hannock. 

October 11. Picket firing was heard at 12.45 a. m., and the 
guard loaded and put out two picket posts. No fires were allowed 
and, as it was cold, some of the pickets had no sleep all night. Du¬ 
ring the day we remained in camp. A detail was sent to put a ford 
in condition. 

October 12. In camp all day. Some artillery firing was heard 
to the front. 

October 13. At 2 a. m. we were turned out, and the men packed 
up for marching. A detail from Companies A and D, under Cap¬ 
tain Turnbull, went to Beverly Ford. It was very chilly, and so un¬ 
comfortable that at last the men were allowed to start “little fires 
with dry wood.” The Army was withdrawing from the Rappahan¬ 
nock, and when the last cavalry picket came across the bridge was 
rapidly dismantled and put on wagons. We returned to camp and 
had a bit of breakfast and a little rest. A detail from Company B 
burned the railroad bridge, blowing out one span with torpedoes, 
Company C in the meanwhile remaining on picket to protect them. 
As soon as all the details had returned to camp the Battalion 
started out on a rapid march after the rest of the Army. For a 
while we were behind the rear guard, but we gradually pulled up, 
going into caipp at Catletts Station on the Orange and Alexandria 
Railroad, near General Headquarters. Occasional firing was heard 
during the day. 

October 14. Heavy firing was heard northwest of camp. We 
moved out at 7 a. m., following the railroad. One day’s rations were 
drawn from the wagons. The Battalion just missed Bristoe Battle, 
where Major-General Warren, now commanding the Second Corps, 
brilliantly repulsed an attack by superior forces of the enemy. The ' 
Battalion camped beyond the heights of Centerville, to attain which 
goal the Army of the Potomac had entered into the long race with 
the contending Army of Northern Virginia. 

October 15-16. In camp all day. Heavy firing was heard the 
15th, although Lee, unsuccessful in his movement, was turning 
back to the Rappahannock. 


47 


October 1 <. Company D put out a ponton bridge of three boats 
<it Blackburns Ford on Bull Run, which was finished at noon and 
crossed by some cavalry. 

October 18. All quiet. In camp. We were ordered to march 
the next day at 8 a. m. Eight days’ rations were issued. 

October 19. We moved out and camped at Groveton at noon, 
about the center of the now famous battlefield of Bull Run. 

October 20. The Battalion was out on fatigue duty, repairing 
roads and a bridge across Bull Run. 

October 21. We started out at 6 a. m. and made a hard and fast 
march along the pike, passing through Gainesville and New Balti¬ 
more, and camping at 3 p. m. about a mile southwest of Warrenton. 

October 22. In camp. A considerable movement of the troops 
was going on, and there was a great deal of annoyance from small 
bands of partisan cavalry. 

October 23-27. In camp. Firewood was very scarce, owing to 
the fact that so many troops had been camped in the vicinity at 
frequent intervals. 

October 27. We drew some clothing, and made a short march to 
Auburn, where we camped, remaining there the next day. 

October 29. AVe moved at 9 a. m. and camped a short distance 
from Catletts Station, in the afternoon. Later, the Battalion went 
out to cut corduroy stuff; the enemy, on their retreat southward, 
having destroyed the railroad tracks and partially burned the cord¬ 
uroy bridge over Cedar Run. 

October 30. The Battalion cut corduroy stuff and railroad ties, 
also corduroying the roads. For several days large fatigue parties 
were out working on the railroad night and day. The Battalion 
was also at work on a corduroy bridge and a corduroy road. 

November 1. Corporal Coolidge, of D Company, with ten men, 
went with the wagon train to Gainesville, but when within 2 
miles of that place had to turn back on account of hostile forces 
about the village. The details were ordered to return to camp as 
soon as possible. 

November 2. A ponton train arrived for the Battalion. 

November 3. In camp. 

November 7. The repairs to the railroad being completed, the 
Northern forces once more took the offensive. The Battalion had 
reveille at 1 a. m. We marched at 4 a. m. via Warrenton Junction, 
toward Kellys Ford, taking the ponton train. By long and hard 
marches we arrived near the church at noon. Orders were strict 
about starting fires or making a noise. By clever management, 


48 


the guards of the enemy were surprised playing ball, and about 
an hundred were captured. Companies B and C immediately 
started to build a bridge, which was finished before sunset and 
crossed by the Third Corps. Companies A and D began a second 
bridge and completed it early in the evening. 

The Sixth Corps, farther upstream, made a fine attack at Rappa¬ 
hannock Station, capturing the enemy’s ponton train and the re¬ 
doubt built by us there (September 17-22), which the enemy had 
occupied since our withdrawal from the locality. Sergt. M. II. 
Butler and some men of Company C had been ordered to report to 
General Sedgwick, commanding the Sixth Corps. They gave such 
information as was required of them, being familiar with the coun¬ 
try and having worked on the redoubt. 

November 8. Heavy firing was heard. We were on guard at 
the bridges, over which the troops were still crossing. 

November 9. Our wagon trains came in. 

November 10-14. The Battalion remained on duty at Kellys 
Ford; the only force left, besides the Engineers, being a regiment 
of infantry and some heavy artillery. All quiet. 

November 14. The bridges at Kellys Ford were turned over to 
the Fifteenth New York Volunteer Engineers, and the Battalion 
marched to near Brandy Station, Va., where it camped near the 
residence of Mr. John Minor Botts. 

November 15. We broke camp at noon and marched to near 
Culpepper, camping at a vacant house at the southeast edge of the 
town. For the first time in the field, the officers of the Engineer 
Battalion occupied a dwelling house. 

November 16. The Battalion was out on fatigue at different 
points, building a corduroy bridge over Mountain Run and repair¬ 
ing roads. 

November 17. Surveys were made in the vicinity of the camp 
and toward Pony Mountain. 

November 18-19. Surveying and usual fatigue, the latter con¬ 
sisting mainly of work on two long corduroy bridges at the railroad 
bridge, the work being finished on the 19th. 

November 20-23. In camp. 

November 23. Eight days’ rations were issued. We marched 
eastward to Stevensburg, where we camped at 3 p. m. The pon¬ 
ton trains came up, as well as companies of the Fifteenth and Fif¬ 
tieth New York Engineers. 

November 24. Reveille at 2.30 a. m. We broke camp at 6 a. m. 


49 


( ompanies C and I) took the plank road for Germanna Ford, on 
the Rapidan. They halted at 11 a. m. and drew off to one side for. 
the artillery and infantry to come along, but as none came they 
marched back, without a rest, to Stevensburg, where they camped in 
a heavy rain. 

Companies A and B accompanied the Fifth Corps in a march to¬ 
ward Raccoon Ford, also on the Rapidan. 

November 25. In camp. The proposed movement of the Army 
had been countermanded. After reveille the tents had to be put in 
alignment. Details were guarding the boat trains. 

November 26. Thanksgiving Day. At 4 a. m. Companies A 
and B went to Germanna Ford, where they threw a bridge over the 
Rapidan, troops crossing immediately. 

Companies C and D started, with a train of seven boats and one 
bay of trestles, but halted after marching about 4 miles. Com¬ 
pany D waited until the Third Corps came up, then moved forward, 
taking a side road through the woods, and stacked arms near the 
open ground at Jacobs Ford. The artillery took position and a 
regiment of infantry deployed as skirmishers. Company 1) moved 
on with the boats and, after unloading them at the river, ferried 
the infantry across, after which they constructed a bridge. Some 
of the enemy’s cavalry pickets were on the opposite bank, but left 
without opposing the crossing. A delay of about an hour was 
caused by lack of boats, the river being high. The deficiency was 
made up by a crib approach which was speedily made, a building 
being torn down for timber, and dirt, stones, and logs being used 
to give the length of abutment required.* The troops crossed at 
3 p. m. The companies, however, continued to work on the ap¬ 
proaches until 6. 

November 27. At 10 a. m. the bridge at Jacobs Ford was taken 
up and put on wagons and moved to near Germanna Ford, where 
Companies A and B were in camp; the bridge was rebuilt at that 
place without trouble. 

November 28. Reveille at 3 a. m. Companies C and 1) moved 
about 1 mile toward Elys Ford, and Avaited there for Companies 
A and B, who had been delayed taking up the bridge built by them 
at Germanna Ford on the 26th. When they came up the Bat- 

*The men who had been drilled to execute this peculiar labor, quickly an¬ 
chored the pontons at certain intervals in the swiftly flowing current, arranged 
and fastened together the planks of the trestle work, with the regularity of a 
machine.—Walker’s “History of the Second Corps.’' 



50 


talion moved out, loading rifles and putting out a squad of skirm¬ 
ishers in advance; but we soon came up to the pickets of Gregg’s 
division of cavalry. The Battalion finally camped, in a heavy 
rain, at the ruins of Richardsville. 

November 29. Sunday. At 7 a. m. we moved out, with train, 
and marched to near Richards Ford, then counter-marched and 
went into camp in a grove of pines, near Elys Ford, remaining 
there also the next day, November 30. 

At 8 a. m., December 1, we broke camp and moved with train to 
Germanna Ford, where two bridges were constructed by 8 p. m. 
for the Army to recross. 

December 2. At 3 a. m. the bridges were taken up. The Bat¬ 
talion marched to old camp at Brandy Station, which was to become 
the winter quarters of the Army of the Potomac. Lieutenant Ben- 
yaurd, with the boat train, went ahead of the cavalry and was the 
first on the ground. The Battalion came in at dark. 

December 3. The Battalion camp was moved to a point about 
a mile eastward of Brandy Station, just west of Capt. John 
Slaughter’s house. 

WINTER CAMP AT BRANDY STATION, VA. 

December 3-May 3, 186d. 

From December 3d to 19th, the Battalion remained in camp, with 
the usual drills. 

On the 7th and 8th the non-commissioned officers of Company C, 
with details from the Battalion, corduroyed the roads between 
Brandy and Rappahannock stations. 

On December 13th the men of the Battalion were vaccinated. 

On the 19th, orders were issued to prepare for winter quarters. 
Company A cut logs in the woods and hauled them into camp for 
the huts, which were ready to be occupied by the men by the 28tli 
of December. The camp was regularly laid out in company streets. 
The huts, built in log house style, were 10 feet long and 7 feet wide 
(5 feet inside) with fire-place and chimney at the back, opposite the 
door; the roof was made of four pieces of shelter tent stretched 
from the ridge pole. Four men lived in each tent, the sergeants 
and corporals, however, being quartered together, and each first 
sergeant having a hut to himself. There were also built a guard¬ 
house, quarters for the sergeant-major and for the officers, quarter¬ 
master and commissary stores, a stable and a hospital. A stockade 
was built for a Sibley tent for the officers’ mess hall. 

Many of the Battalion went on furlough during this time of the 


51 



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52 

winter encampment. The men remaining in camp spent their time 
in drills and in studying tactics. Study came hard, as the men 
seemed dull and appeared to have lost their sharpness of under¬ 
standing and quickness of acquirement. Dress parades were held 
at retreat. 

On January 24th occurred the first religious service, held in the 
Battalion by members of the Christian Commission. All the men 
were in attendance at the meeting, which took place at camp in the 
open air. The text was from the 91st Psalm: “1 will say of the 
Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in Him will 1 
trust. ” 

Chess, of which match games were often played, was a favorite 
amusement, and a chess club was organized. But the chief amuse¬ 
ment was the ‘‘Essayons Dramatic Club,” which was organized 
January 27th. The enterprise was encouraged by the officers, 
who subscribed money toward the building of a theater, which was 
commenced the 30th. Captain Mendell put details to work on the 
theater, although it was a purely volunteer affair. The ground 
floor of the building was 20 by 50 feet. The stage occupied one 
end, and at the other was the main entrance and a gallery for the 
officers, with a stove and private entrance. The walls were of 
stockade work 7 feet clear. The roof was of shakes. The interior 
was lighted through an opening in the roof, covered with shelter 
tents. The floor was of earth, smooth and hard. The orchestra 
chairs were of split logs, smoothed down and set in milking-stool 
style. There were no private boxes, nor was there a dress circle. 

The men painted the scenery and organized an orchestra. The 
theater was formally opened on February 26, 1864. the anniversary 
of the beginning of the Harpers Ferry Bridge. The play was 
“Toodles;” the cast was from the “Essayons Dramatic Club." 

T OODLES. 

CAST OF FLAY. 

Toodles. Zenas Stoddard 

Charles Fenton. George W. Brackett 

George Acorn. Orlando Jackson 

Frank Acorn. George Kelioe 

Farmer Fenton .Charles W. Sweetland 

First Farmer .Atkins Higgins 

Second Farmer. Thomas Perkins 

Lawyer Glir.. Frank E. Beahn 

Landlord .*.Hiram Eldridge 

Mrs. Toodles. George Robbins 

Mary Acorn. John H. Brown 


Villagers. 













53 



i 


































































Afterwards, lectures and religious services, as well as dances and 
dramatic performances, were given in the theater. 

In the meantime, serious work was not entirely wanting. 

On February 1st a detail from Company 13, under Sergeant Mc¬ 
Gill, went to Mitchells Station to build defensive works. They laid 
out a stockaded fort and a two-gun battery. The detail returned 
to camp the evening of February 14, having finished both fort and 
battery. 

At retreat, February 5, an order was read in regard to enlist¬ 
ments, which were to be for five years; about an hundred men of 
the Battalion re-enlisted. 

On February 6th Companies A and C left camp for the Rapidan. 
It soon began to rain, but, after three hours’ hard marching through 
the mud and mire, the companies reached Stevensburg, where tents 
were pitched. Firing was heard toward the Rapidan. 

At 4.30 p. m. the march was resumed, and by 1 a. m., February 7, 
about two miles and a half had been gained. The journey was 
worse than the “Mud Scrape” of 1863. Fires had to be kindled 
to light the road, as it was very dark. The rain continued, and the 
pontons got stuck every rod or two in the knee-deep mud; one of 
them had to he completely abandoned. The mules were used up, 
two dying on the road. The chess wagons had to be unloaded and 
loaded again, and the men, unable to get near the river bank by 
morning, lay down in their blankets in the rain. The troops going 
to attack waded the river, the bridge being dispensed with. After¬ 
wards the detail fixed a road through the woods, then camped about 
a mile back from the river. They had scarcely lain down, however, 
when the order came to fall in, and the companies marched back to 
Stevensburg. The roads were in awful condition, the ambulance 
breaking down three times on the trip. The men reached camp at 
noon, February 8, looking much the worse for their short campaign. 

On March 28, orders were issued for daily ponton drill on the 
Rappahannock at Rappahannock Station, Companies A and B alter¬ 
nating with Companies C and 1). 

On April 7, thirty men from each company went out on fatigue 
duty and repaired the roads between camp and Culpepper. 

On April 8, all superfluous baggage was ordered to be packed and 

sent away. 

«/ 

On April 9, there were no drills on account of rain. Our theater 
was taken possession of for use as a guard-house. 

April 10. Sunday. Inspection. 


00 


* 








April 11. The Battalion repaired a bridge over Mountain Run, 
near Culpepper, cutting and using thirty-three wagon loads of cor¬ 
duroy. 

April 12. Capt. George H. Mendell, the Battalion commander, 
made examinations along the Rapidan. 

April 13-21. Usual drills. Knapsacks were inspected the 15th, 
‘‘as we could march.” On the 18th, the bridge drill was with the 
canvas advance-guard equipage. On the 19th, orders were received 
for a Battalion fatigue party to leave, taking tents and blankets. 
On April 20th, there was a drill in making siege material. 

April 21. Forty-five men from each company, with three days’ 
rations, left by rail for Catletts Station and Bull Run, to put up 
stockades and defensive works along the railroad. A detail also 
went to Kettle Run. 

April 22-26. There were barely enough men left in camp for the 
ordinary guard duty. 

April 27. Company D built a stockade, 12 feet square, at Bristoe 
Station. Some of the details returned to camp. 

The detail at Kettle Run finished the blockhouse there on April 
28th, so that all parties were now returned to camp. 

April 30. A fatigue party went to Rappahannock Station, to 
complete the stockade begun at that point by the Fiftieth New York 
Engineers, who had been ordered away before completing the work. 
In the afternoon, the Battalion was mustered. 

May 1. A detail of twenty men from each company went to 
Rappahannock Station and finished the stockade. The men re¬ 
maining in camp were occupied in preparing for the coming cam¬ 
paign of the "Wilderness. 

THE WILDERNESS CAMPAIGN. 

On the 2d of May orders were issued for the forward movement 
of the Army. The Battalion moved out about 8 a. m., in marching 
order, and each man carrying thirty rounds of ammunition, three 
days’ cooked meat, six days’ coffee and sugar, and four days’ hard 
bread. Camp was made at Richardsville at 2 p. m. During the 
day the men repaired roads leading to the river. Lieutenant Ben- 
yaurd remained with the guard left to repair thq company wagons. 
They started out, to join the Battalion, at 6 p. m., reaching the main 
camp at 10.30 p. m. Captain Mackenzie was detailed to accompany 
the Second Cavalry Division; and First. Lieut. Charles W. Howell, 


an officer of the Battalion, was assigned to the Third Cavalry Divi¬ 


sion, remaining with it until May 25. 

May 4. The Army crossed to the south of the Rapidan. We 
remained in camp until the afternoon, moving out at 2.30 p. m. and 
crossing the river at Culpepper Mine Ford, over a ponton bridge 
laid by the Fiftieth New York Volunteer Engineers. A halt was 
made after crossing, and we repaired the road and the approaches 
to the bridge. The march was resumed, and we bivouacked at 11 
p. m. at Woodville Place, about a mile north of Wilderness Tavern. 

May 5th saw the beginning of the Battle of the Wilderness. The 
Battalion made a short march and camped near General Head¬ 
quarters, near Greenwood. At tattoo, orders were received that the 
Engineer Battalion was to act as infantry during the coming day; 
arms were inspected, full instructions were given the first sergeants, 
who were to act as officers, and twenty extra rounds of ammunition 
were issued. 

May 6. Reveille was held at 1.30 a. m. We moved out in march¬ 
ing order at 4 a. m. Lieut. Ranald S. Mackenzie, learning that the 
Battalion was to act as infantry, had returned to the command of 
his company. Captain Mendell and Lieutenant Benyaurd were 
also present. Position was taken at the right of the pike, in a 
rifle pit at the rear of the Third Division, Sixth Corps. The Bat¬ 
talion remained in this position until 4.30 p. m., when, taking en¬ 
trenching tools which had been sent from camp, the men proceeded 
without arms to the front to throw up a strong traversed line at 
the right of the Fifth Corps. Shortly after, the Confederate artil¬ 
lery poured in a cross-fire on this point. The woods and under¬ 
brush formed a thicket, impenetrable to the eye, and the proximity 
of the enemy could be judged only by their yells, which, in a singu¬ 
lar crescendo and diminuendo, passed from left to right and back 
again: an invisible army, yet apparently within an easy stone’s 
throw. Just before sunset the Sixth Corps was attacked, and, ap¬ 
parently without resistance, fell back in confusion. The Fifth 
Corps faced promptly to the rear along the pike. The entire change 
occurred so quietly that the Engineers at work were astonished on 
looking around to see the enemy in the woods; the Confederates 
also were in confusion, although moving forward, unaware of the 
Fifth Corps of the Army of the Potomac on their right. The Bat¬ 
talion, however, caught, without arms, between the Confederate 
forces and the front of the Fifth Corps, was awkwardly placed. 
Lieutenant Benyaurd proceeded along the line of the companies, 


giving the word to fall in. We moved back along the new 1 ront of 
the Fifth Corps to the place where our arms had been left, nar¬ 
rowly escaping the fire of our own troops. On turning in our 
tools and taking arms, we were probably the only troops remaining 
in position on the right of the pike. The color-guard kept the dag 
in place, rallying quite a number of troops around it, and earning 
the commendation of Brig. Gen. Charles Griffin, the commander of 
the Third Division of the Fifth Corps, who was active in restoring 
order. General Griffin put Company C in position as skirmishers; 
the remaining companies, after supporting a battery on the right 
of the pike, bivouacked a short distance to the rear. It was a day’s 
service long to be remembered, and on no occasion were the good 
‘qualities of the Battalion better displayed than during this affair 
in the Wilderness. 

May 7. At daylight the enemy made a spirited attack on the 
line at the left of the pike, but were quickly repulsed. The Bat¬ 
talion, although under fire, was not engaged, and soon afterwards 
was relieved from duty as infantry, returning to General Head¬ 
quarters. During the day we repaired roads in the vicinity. 

The Battle of the Wilderness was over, with victory on neither 
side. At night the Army was set in motion toward Spottsylvania 
Court House, thus beginning the series of flank movements which 
it seemed afterwards were never to end. The Battalion took up 
the march at sunset, passing through Chancellorsville to Piney 
Branch Church, where we bivouacked before daylight. This night 
march was very tedious. It was quite dark and the men were often 
obliged to pick their way through the moving trains which ob¬ 
structed the road. There was no straggling, however, and all the 
men of the Battalion were present at roll call. 

Lieutenant Benyaurd guided the Sixth Corps, by way of Chan¬ 
cellorsville and Piney Branch Church, to its position for the fol¬ 
lowing day. 

May 8th saw the beginning of the long drawn-out battle of Spott¬ 
sylvania Court House. Shortly after daylight the Battalion re¬ 
ported to Lieut. Gen. U. S. Grant, the Commander-in-Chief of the 
Armies of the United States, and remained near Piney Branch 
Church until dark, when it moved to the front with Headquarters, 
camping in an old corn-field near the road leading from Todds 
Tavern to Alsop’s place. 

May 9. During the day Company D superintended the con¬ 
struction of earthworks at Todds Tavern. About 2 p. m., after the 


THE BATTALION OF ENGINEERS 


59 





MILE 















60 


Second Corps moved to the left, the company patrolled the road 
between Todds Tavern and Alsop’s. 

Company C reported to Major-General Warren, commanding the 
Fifth Corps, for duty. In the afternoon the company moved out 
to the right of the Fifth Corps, where the men repaired roads and 
built rifle pits, returning to camp at dark. 

Company B, with some men from Companies A and D, was on 
duty with the Sixth Corps, constructing works near the point where 
Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick, the admired and beloved commander of 
the Sixth Corps, was killed. When the company arrived, the men 
of the Fifth Corps had already placed themselves under a slight 
cover, which Company B changed into a sunken battery, under the 
fire of the enemy’s sharpshooters. The ground between the lines 
was covered with Union soldiers, some dead, some dying. After the 
men had been at work awhile the body of General Sedgwick, who 
had just been killed by the bullet of a sharpshooter, was carried by 
on a litter, going to the rear. At first there were no pickets in our 
front, but at the request of Captain Mendell, a few of the men of 
the Fifth Corps were sent out in the hope of keeping down the fire 
of the sharpshooters. The Engineer soldiers behaved remarkably 
well, continuing to work under fire until the middle of the after¬ 
noon. Upon completion of the battery, the company was employed 
in strengthening the infantry parapet in front of the Sixth Corps. 

May 10. At daylight the Battalion moved out under arms and 
'was on duty at the headquarters of the Fifth Corps, at Alsop’s. 
Companies A and C in the forenoon went to the front, and built 
crib bridges across the Po River. In the afternoon very severe 
fighting occurred on the south side of the river, and after the Second 
Corps had withdrawn to the north bank of the river, Companies A 
and C destroyed the bridges, under fire, afterwards joining the 
other companies. At dark the Battalion, under Captain Turnbull, 
reported to Maj. Gen. D. B. Birney, commanding the Third Divi¬ 
sion of the Second Corps, to act as infantry in case of assault by 
the enemy; but as our services were not required, we returned 
and bivouacked at General Warren’s headquarters. 

Captain Mackenzie examined the ground in front of the Sixth 
Corps, and aided General Russell, commanding the First Division, 
in selecting the point for the successful attack of Colonel Upton’s 
Brigade. 

May 11. Reveille was at a late hour. At 1 p. m. we moved out 
and repaired roads leading to the east. The roads were almost 


61 


quicksands from the rain of the night previous, and a heavy 
shower in the afternoon made them even worse. Caution had to 
be observed in the work, as we were close to the enemy. A cordu¬ 
roy crossing was also built over a small creek at the front. At 
about 10 p. m. were turned to bivouac at the Alsop house, very 
much tired out. During the night Captain Mendell guided the 
Second Corps to the place selected for its attack the next morning, 
over the roads repaired by the Battalion. He also aided in put¬ 
ting some batteries in position, although a fog prevented their 
tiring. 

May 12. Reveille at 1.30 a. m. As we were marching to the 
front, at early daylight, there suddenly broke out the rush and 
cheer of the successful charge of the Second Corps on “The 
Salient’' or “Bloody Angle.” This point was a continuation of 
the line of works carried by Upton two days before, and was con¬ 
sidered to be the key to Lee’s position. The Battalion felt proud 
of having at least prepared the way for this—the brilliant exploit 
of the Spottsylvania Campaign. 

During the day we repaired roads, a detachment going to the 
front on similar duty. At dark the Battalion moved back to Gen¬ 
eral Headquarters, near the Brown house. 

May 13. It rained all night. Reveille was held at 2 a. m. We 
moved out in marching order at daylight, and corduroyed the road 
at a ford on the Ny River, near the crossing of the Fredericksburg 
turnpike, returning to camp very late. 

May 14. Reveille at 1.30 a. m. We repaired roads until 2 p. m„ 
and bivouacked at dark near the Ninth Corps’ hospital at the Lan- 
dron house. 

May 15 was spent in camp, that night being the first one of un¬ 
disturbed rest for the Battalion since May 5. 

After resting for two days, the Battalion made a short march 
in the afternoon of the 17th and camped at Anderson place, which 
was beautifully located in a fine and open country. After the 
tedious toil over miserable roads and through the entanglement of 
thickets, the effect upon the men was very exhiliarating. We felt 
that we were really'out of the wilderness. 

Mav 18. Reveille was at 2 a. m. We marched, under arms, at 
daylight, and proceeded to near the ford over the Ny River, the 
ponton trains moving in the same direction. We were not called 
upon to perform any duty, however, and returned to near our 

former camp. 


* 


MARCH TO THE JAMES. 

Further direct attack was useless, and on the 19th the movement 
of the Army to the James River began. It was delayed, however, 
by offensive operations on the part of the Confederate forces, until 
the 20tli; and not until 6 a. m., May 21, did the Engineer Bat¬ 
talion enter upon the march. 

At first we were delayed by the crowded condition of the road, 
but after passing Massaponax Church, the march became very 
rapid. We crossed the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac 
Railroad, near Guinea Station, when it was discovered that the 
Battalion was in the advance, with a small cavalry force of the 
enemy holding Guinea Bridge over the Ny River. General Meade 
had overtaken the Battalion, and the other headquarters’ troops 
being quickly brought up, the bridge, which had been set on fire by 
the enemy, was captured before its attempted destruction could 
be accomplished. During the attack, Company C acted as skir¬ 
mishers and D as a reserve. Companies A and B repaired the 
bridge. A number of the men were broken down, and one suf¬ 
fered sunstroke. At dark we camped at Hugh Catlett’s, north of 
the river. 

May 22. We marched in the afternoon to near Bethel Church, 
where we camped at George Tyler’s plantation, “Blenheim.” 

May 23. The first day of the Battle of the North Anna. We 
moved out early, but were again delayed upon the road. In the 
afternoon, however, a very rapid march was made, and we camped 
quite late at night at Montague’s plantation, near Mount Carmel 
Church. 

Several recruits reported. 

May 24. We moved out, crossing the North Anna at Jericho 
Mills, over a ponton bridge laid by the Fiftieth New York Engi¬ 
neers, and camped across the river on the bluff. The enemy’s 
skirmish line was in plain view, not very far distant. 

May 25. Reveille at 2.30 a. m. We recrossed the river and fol¬ 
lowed the bank to Quarles Mill. During the day the Battalion 
constructed a bridge, covering it with boards from the sawmill 
near by. A second bridge was built by the Fiftieth New* York 
Engineers, consisting in part of a few pontons. 

May 26. The Battalion rested in camp. During the night the 
troops recrossed to the north bank of the river; General Grant, 
rather than to incur further sacrifices by a frontal attack on the 
•enemy’s fortified lines, having decided to withdraw his Army. So 


63 


ended the Battle of North Anna. But the night was dark, and 
favorable for the new turning movement planned by the Com- 
mander-in-Chief. 

May 27. Reveille at 2 a. m. We moved out at 4 a. m., taking 
the main road at Mount Carmel Church. We camped near Man- 
gohick Church about 6 p. in., after a march of 22 miles. The 
wagon with rations broke down and had to he abandoned; in con¬ 
sequence, we were three days without rations. 

May 28. Reveille at 1 a. m. We marched at 2.45, crossing the 
Pamunkey at Huntley’s, 4 miles northwest of Hanover Town, and 
camped just across the river, having marched 12 miles. A ponton 
bridge was laid by the volunteer engineers. The Battalion made 
a new road, some 15 rods in length, and repaired roads in the 
vicinity. 

May 29. We remained in camp. 



May 30. We marched at 7 a. m., and camped on the far side of 
Crumps Creek. 

May 31. We remained in camp. Rations were issued .* 

Captain Gillespie was placed in command of Company C. 

June 1. We had reveille at 5 a. m. Already that morning the 
opening charge of the Battle of Cold Harbor had been made. The 

*During this campaign, each soldier did his own cooking. Three days’ ra¬ 
tions were issued at a time, and consisted of thirty pieces of hardtack, about 
one pound of cured meat, a half-pint of ground coffee and half as much brown 
sugar, and a little pepper and salt. Tea was issued only to the sick. Beans, 
rice, and dried apples were issued whenever possible. The main reliance, how¬ 
ever, was placed in the hardtack and coffee. The beef cattle, driven night and 
day, became very poor. After leaving Spottsylvania and up to our arrival, 
later, at the James River, opportunities occurred to obtain extras by purchase 
or forage. The favorite medium of exchange was hardtack; the people often 
being found without flour, and, as they themselves said, not being able to eat 
money. 







04 

Battalion moved out at 7 a. m. We went by Hawes’ store, march¬ 
ing in all 7 miles, and passing through lines of unoccupied rifle 
pits; camp was made on Gillson Vias’ plantation. 

Company C repaired roads during the forenoon while on the 
march. At 1) p. m. the main part of the company, under First 
Sergt. M. II. Butler, received orders to report, with arms and in¬ 
trenching tools, to General Warren, commanding the Fifth Corps; 
they set out to do so at 10 p. m., but, as the night was dark, great 
trouble was experienced in reaching the proper destination. 

At 9 p. m. Company 1), with tool wagons, moved across a field, 
clearing the way as it went for infantry. The company then 
moved to Allens Mill, beyond which a new road was cut through 
the pine timber, fires being built to light the road and to aid in the 
work. The company bivouacked just west of Burnett’s place, 
where the men left off work. 

June 2. Companies A and B, which had been left in camp at 
Vias’ plantation, had reveille at 5 a. m. They marched at 7 a. m., 
and camped at 1.30 p. m. at General Headquarters, on the Wood 
farm, and about a mile east of Old Cold Harbor. Company D 
returned to the main camp about 3 p. m., Company C also return¬ 
ing about the same time. Lieutenant Howell, with Company B, 
reported after dark to General Wright, who had succeeded Sedg¬ 
wick to the command of the Sixth Corps, and threw up rifle pits at 
the front, under the fire of Confederate sharpshooters. 

On June 3d, the attack was general along the line. Company B 
built a battery in a very exposed position in front of the Sixth 
Corps. Company A, under Captain Mackenzie, went to the front 
of the Second Corps, strengthening the works. The opposing 
forces were closer together at that point than at any other portion 
of the line, barely an hundred yards apart. 

Company D, in marching order, reported about 7 p. m. to Gen. 
William F. Smith, commanding the Eighteenth Corps, which had 
arrived from the Army of the James. At 10.30 p. m., after taking 
tools, the company moved to the front and stacked arms about 400 
yards from the picket line. The bullets from the sharpshooters 
came in among the stacks. The company proceeded along the edge 
of the woods to and beyond the pickets, who were then ordered to 
cease firing. The men received orders to take an interval apart, as 
they moved out, of 6 feet. There was to be no smoking, talking, or 
laughing. Upon halting, the men were to face to the front as 
quickly as possible. They moved out, Capt. Francis U. Farquhar, 




65 







Corps of Engineers, the Chief Engineer of the Eighteenth Corps, 
and First Sergt. P. M. Flood, in the lead, the men following as 
ordered. The advance was discovered by the enemy’s sharp¬ 
shooters, and, although no one was hit, the firing nearly brought on 
an engagement. The company during the night completed a line 
of rifle pits and a four-gun battery, which latter, as soon as finished, 
was occupied by artillery. 

At daylight June 4, Company D, having completed its work, re¬ 
turned to the main camp. Companies A and B, however, remained 
at the front. At dark, Company D reported again at the Eigh¬ 
teenth Corps’ headquarters. At 10.30 p. m., the company, with in¬ 
trenching tools, went to the farthest point of woods at the left of 
the open space, where they passed the front line of intrenchments 
and went out in advance of the pickets. A line was traced across 
the open space, connecting with the battery built by the company 
the night previous. The men were fired upon, but without casu¬ 
alty. Infantry details came in, as soon as there was sufficient 
cover, and completed the work. 

June 5. Company C in camp at General Headquarters. 

Companies A and B remained at their positions at the front, 
the former company working on the construction of a mine to 
blow up the salient held by the enemy in front of the Second Corps. 

About daylight Company D retired from the front along the 
open space to a point in front of the Eighteenth Corps’ head¬ 
quarters, where the men lay down to rest. A passing regiment in 
front drew such a heavy fire from the enemy, however, that the 
company moved back to headquarters and, singly or in pairs, dug 
shelters where the men could rest and sleep. The situation was a 
lively one, three lines of fire centering at this point. After dark, 
a detachment of the company laid out a redoubt which commanded 
the open space in front. Another detachment, under First Ser¬ 
geant Flood, went to the front and altered some rifle pits. 

June 6. Company C continued at the main camp, at General 
Headquarters. Company B remained at the Sixth Corps’ head¬ 
quarters, the woods in the vicinity being shelled all afternoon. 
Company A was at work on the construction of the mine in front of 
the Second Corps. 

Corporal Thompson, of Company D, surveyed the front of the 
Eighteenth Corps. A detachment of twenty men of Company D, 
with a working party, continued the construction of the redoubt 
laid out the preceding night, each Engineer soldier having charge 


67 


of a squad oi twenty men. The work drew some artillery fire from 
the enemy, as well as that of a few sharpshooters. A second detail 
continued the work all night. 

June 7. Company C remained at the main camp, at General 
Headquarters. Company A was still engaged in the construction 
of its mine. Company B, at dark, went to the front and threw up 
rifle pits for the sharpshooters. 

The camp of Company D was shelled, at daylight, for about an 
hour. In the forenoon, the company was engaged in work on the 
redoubt at the front of the Eighteenth Corps, being shelled while 
at work. The rear of the redoubt was changed by putting in a 
stockade. 

Corporal Thompson, with Artificers Hayes and Graham, sur¬ 
veyed the front of the Sixth Corps and the right of the Second 
Corps with compass and chain.* 

June 8. Company D was shelled at daylight, as usual. After 
completing the redoubt, abattis, etc., on which they had been at 
work since the 4th, the company returned to the main camp at 
General Headquarters. Company A continued work on the mine. 
It was attempted to extend a boyau to the front, but the enemy’s 
artillery fire tore the sap roller to pieces at each trial, and the 
attempt had finally to be given up. In the afternoon, Companies 
A and B returned to the main camp, at General Headquarters, and 
the four companies were together for the first time since June 4. 

June 9. The men rested in camp. 

June 10. The Battalion superintended the construction of a de¬ 
fensive line, extending from Elder Swamp to Allens Mill, with 
Cold Harbor as the salient. The line was selected the previous day 
by Gen. J. C. Duane, Chief Engineer, Army of the Potomac, to be 
held, temporarily, by two divisions during the retirement of the 
other troops and the beginning of the new movement to the James. 

*The surveying was tedious and dangerous work. The front line was broken 
up by traverses and bombproofs. The sharpshooters fired at our hats; several 
times my eyes were filled with sand from bullets striking the parapet beside 
my head. I left Hayes and Graham for a few minutes, in order to determine 
a way to carry on the measurements; when I returned they were gone, as was 
also the top of the tree under which I had left them. The two joined me, in a 
few moments, however, and stated that a shell had burst in the tree a short 
time after I had left them. We got through very well, notwithstanding the 
difficulties, and the survey was plotted at General Headquarters for Major 
Duane, our former Battalion commander, now become the Chief Engineer 
Officer of the Army of the Potomac.—G. T. 



68 


Captain Gillespie, with Company C, had charge of the left and 
center, and Lieutenant Benyaurd, with Company A, the right of 
the line. 

Captain Mendell and Lieutenant Howell made an examination, 
to determine the feasibility of crossing the supply trains of the 
Army over the Chickahominy at Windsor Shades, reporting un¬ 
favorably thereon. 

June 11. The work of the Battalion on the defensive line was 
finished at daylight. 

June 12. The Battalion moved out in marching order at 3 p. m., 
taking up the march to the James River. The Richmond and 
York River Railroad was crossed about a mile and a half east of 
Dispatch Station, and the Battalion bivouacked on Moody’s plan¬ 
tation after midnight.® 

Time was scarcely given to make a cup of coffee and take a nap, 
before the march was resumed, the Battalion moving out at 6 a. in., 
June 13. We halted at Forge Mill at 2 p. m., and crossed the 
Chickahominy River at 3 p. m. on two ponton bridges laid by a 
detachment of the Fiftieth New York Engineers. On the far side 
the Battalion awaited the passage of the Sixth Corps, then marched 
to Charles City Court House, where camp was made. Clothing 
and rations were issued. 

June 14. We moved out at 11 a. m., and at 2 p. m. went into 
camp on the bank at Douthards Weynoak Landing on the James 
River, about 7 miles below Harrisons Landing. At 3 p. m. the men 
fell in, without arms, and proceeded a short distance down along 
the bank of the river for the purpose of building a ponton bridge. 
When the Battalion reached the river, Brigadier-General Weitzel, 5 
the Chief Engineer of the Army of the James, was there, with sev¬ 
eral companies of the First United States Volunteer Engineers. 
Nothing had been done, however, toward the commencement of the 
bridge. The flooring material looked as though it had been struck 
hy a cyclone; the boats were scattered in confusion over the low, 
marshy ground along the shore, and the officer of the volunteers 
was unable to make his men go into the mud and slime and bring 

“During this march the Battalion passed over a portion of the march of 
May 22d, 1862. The changes that had taken place in the personnel of the 
Battalion were quickly remarked upon. How many good men had been liter¬ 
ally worn out in the two years! Not an officer of that day w r as still on duty 
with the Battalion. 

^Captain, Corps of Engineers. 



69 



BRIDGE OVER JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA. 


















TO 


the boats ashore. Detachments from the Battalion, at the word of 
command to build the bridge, sprang into the water, which was 
almost up to the neck, and succeeded in building, in one hour, an 
abutment of trestle work some 200 feet long, reaching to the deep 
water proper. The Battalion was then transferred to the oppo¬ 
site shore, the volunteer engineers taking up the work. General 
Benliam, commanding the Volunteer Engineer Brigade of the 
Army of the Potomac, arrived at this time from Port Monroe, with 
portions of the Fifteenth and Fiftieth New York Engineers, and 
having in charge a number of vessels with bridge material on 
board and in tow. Major Duane turned the completion of the 
bridge over to him. As fast as the material was unloaded from 
the vessels, it was made into sections and towed into position in the 
bridge. The bridge, which was ready for the crossing of the Army 
about midnight, eight hours having been required for its construc¬ 
tion, was a notable example of military engineering. It consisted 
of 101 pontons and about 200 feet of trestle work, making a total 
length of 2,200 feet. In the channel proper, which had a depth of 
about 80 feet and a swift tidal current, schooners were anchored 
fore and aft, and the bridge held in position by hawsers fastened 
to them. A drawbridge, to allow the passage of gunboats and 
other vessels, was provided. The Battalion remained on duty at 
the bridge during the night. During the next forty-six hours, 
nearly the entire Army, as well as 3,000 beef cattle and about 50 
miles of wagon trains, crossed over without a single mishap or loss. 

INVESTMENT OF PETERSBURG. 

June 15. Camp was moved to near the head of the bridge, 
where the Battalion was on duty during the day. The approaches 
were repaired in the afternoon. 

June 16. The Battalion moved out, in marching order, at 8 a. m. 
Crossing the ponton bridge, we passed through Prince George 
Court House and camped at the Bryant house, at that time the 
hospital of the Second Division, 4 miles from Petersburg. The 
day was hot, the road dusty, and water very scarce, making the 
march of 18 miles a trying one. 

June 17. The Battalion remained in camp. A detail from 
Company B built a corduroy bridge across a small creek at the 
front. Heavy attacks were made during the day upon the enemy, 
who, grasping Grant’s intentions at last, had reached Petersburg 



























•> 


.-r 

( 




-- -* -y - ‘ 







% 



t 




0** 


' i 




\ 


\ 
















71 

in time to ward oft' the capture of that important railroad center by 
tlie Union forces. 

June 18. At 6.30 a. m. we moved about a mile farther to the 
front. 

June 19-20. A survey was made of the enemy’s outer line, which 
had been evacuated by the Confederates on the 17th and 18th. 

On the 20th, a scaffold w T as erected by the Battalion, in plain 
view of the enemy, and a negro hanged on it, after due trial. Pri¬ 
vate Perkins, of Company B, pulled the fall. 

June 21. A party, under Corporal Thompson, surveyed to near 



the Appomattox River, being fired upon by sharpshooters. 

At 7 a. m., June 22, the camp of the Battalion was changed to a. 
point on the east side of the Jerusalem plank road, near the Jones’ 
house. As soon as we were settled, however, a spirited assault 
broke out in front of us, on the plank road, the Second and Fifth 
Corps being engaged in an attempt to extend our line to the left 
and to capture the Weldon and Petersburg Railroad. Camp was 
broken in a few minutes, and we had orders to go back to our 
former camp; but, as matters soon began to look more reassuring, 
the order was countermanded, and camp was again made near the 
place from which we had so suddenly departed. 

The survey of the enemy’s outer line was finished, as far as was 




72 


possible, the work being interrupted by the tire of a Union battery- 
in position at the intersection of our front line with that evacuated 
by the Confederates, and actively engaged in shelling the Hank of 
the enemy’s column of attack—just as the surveying party chained 
up to the front line. 

At dark a detail of 100 men, under Sergeant Grant of Company 
C, went out and built a four-gun battery at the point where the 
fighting had occurred during the day, on the east side of the plank 
road. 

June 23-24. The Battalion remained in camp, although at one 
time during the day the mules were hitched up, in anticipation of 
a move. The survey detail was on duty at General Headquarters. 

June 25. Company A, under Lieutenant Benyaurd, left in full 
marching order, and reported to General Burnside for duty along 
the Ninth Corps front. 

June 26-29. The Battalion remained in camp. The heat was 
very oppressive, and the dust 4 inches deep. A scarcity of w r ater 
w r as remedied by the sinking of w’ells, but the v r ater came in very 
slowly. 

Captain Gillespie w r as engaged in the general examination and 
rectification of the Union lines of entrenchments. 

June 29. An examination w r as made with a view’ to bridging the 
Appomattox River. 

June, 30. Company A returned to camp for muster. Rough 
shelters w’ere put up, the nights being chilly. 

July 1. Company A reported again to the Ninth Corps. The 
company assisted in building the afterwards famous mine, which 
w r as being constructed, under Elliott’s Salient by the Forty-eighth 
Pennsylvania Infantry, a regiment composed mainly of coal miners. 
Company A prepared the covered way to the mouth, about 300 feet 
in length, and did other similar work. 

July 2-6. The Battalion remained in camp. The principal 
w T ork consisted of digging a well and building a shed of boughs, 
for the mules. 

July 6. Reveille at 2.30 a. m. At 3.30, w r e w r ent to the front 
and, under direction of Lieutenant Howell, laid out a redoubt, 400 
feet square, on the w^est side of the Jerusalem plank road. It was 
named “Fort Warren,” but the name was later changed to “Fort 
Davis,” in honor of Colonel Davis, who w r as killed wdiile in com¬ 
mand of the fort. 

July 7. Reveille at 4.30 a. in. We w’orked all day on the re- 


73 




PLAN OF UNITED STATES ENGINEER CAMP, SIEGE OF PETERSBURG. 













































74 


doubt and commenced to revet in the afternoon. Screens of brush 
to hide the work were put up, as we were shelled by the enemy at 
comparatively close range. 

July 8. Companies B and 1) worked on the redoubt. A look¬ 
out station was arranged in the center of the front parapet, where 
an infantry officer and soldier were on duty all the time. The 
pickets came to a truce not to fire unless one side or the other 
should advance, in which case the first volley was to be fired high.* 
In the afternoon, the artillery of the enemy opened a short but 
vicious tire, mortally wounding Captain Bell, of the Twentieth 
Indiana, who was caught by Sergeant Putnam as he fell. Others 
were wounded, but none of the Engineers, although they were 
blinded for a few minutes by the smoke of the bursting shells. 
During all this racket the pickets still kept their truce. The work 
on the fort was continued until 10 p. m. 

July 9. We superintended the work on the redoubt. No firing 
this day. Capt. Franklin Harwood reported and was assigned to 
the command of Company D. Captain Mendell, the Battalion 
Commander, was placed in charge of siege operations on the Fifth 
Corps front, having details under him from the Second and Fifth 
Corps, the Fiftieth New York Engineers, and the Fourth New 
York Heavy Artillery. Regular approaches were ordered to be 
built in the front of the Fifth and Ninth Corps. 

Sunday, July 10. The work continued day and night. 

A general scheme of siege works was decided upon and ap¬ 
proved, July 11, by General Meade. The main feature was to be 
a series of detached forts, connected by rifle pits, each fort to be 
designed, especially where the lines were close, so that the artillery 
fire could protect not only its front, but could also deliver a flank 
fire on the forts adjoining it, in case one of them should be cap¬ 
tured. Parties were at work upon Fort Davis, which was shelled 
toward evening. Captain Harwood, with Corporal Thompson, 
Artificer Coolidge, and four other men, profiled Fort Bross, located 
on the rear line of works near the Norfolk and Petersburg Rail¬ 
road. A fatigue party of 800 infantry reported, at dark, to begin 
the construction of the work, which was 200 feet square. Lieu¬ 
tenant Benyaurd, on the Ninth Corps front, remodeled a small 
battery, afterwards known as “Fort Morton,” in honor of Major 

*Onc of the enemy’s pickets did fire without warning, and he was made to 
walk past in plain view of all, carrying a log. 






FORT SEDGWICK, PETERSBURG, YA., 1864-1865. 





















76 


Morton/' into one for four guns. The large battery, known as 
“Fort Sedgwick,” and popularly as “Fort Hell,” on account of 
its exposed position and the hot fire to which it was frequently 
subjected, was laid out, south of Fort Morton. 

A detailed history of the investment of Petersburg would be re¬ 
quired, in order to record all the different classes of work per¬ 
formed, during this period, by details from the Battalion: tiie men, 
under their officers, were employed all along the lines, front and 
rear. The Fifteenth and Fiftieth New York Volunteers were also 
constantly employed in similar duties. The officers and soldiers 
of the Battalion, however, were given charge of the advance, recti¬ 
fying and remodeling the front line. 


July 12. Reveille at 2 a. m. General Headquarters Camp, to 
which we were attached, was moved toward the right of the line, 
near the Dunn house. Large details, mainly from Company B, 
were at work at Forts Davis and Bross. The fatigue parties con¬ 
sisted of colored troops, upon whom, even, the heat and toil were 
beginning to wear. Sergeant Putnam, with about half of Company 
D, was also at Fort Bross, as well as a large detail from Company 
C. At dark. Sergeant Coughlan, with a detail of Company D, re¬ 
ported at General Warren’s headquarters, and laid out an eight- 
gun battery. Sergeant Shibley, with a detail, went to Fort Bross , b 
at dark, and relieved Sergeant Putnam. 

July 13. The usual details were out day and night. A ration 
of whiskey was issued regularly, owing to the severity of the work. 
Company A was still with the Ninth Corps, instructing in gabion 
and fascine making, in addition to the fortification work. At 
dark, a detail from Company B began the construction of a mortar 
battery on the Fifth Corps front. Several men from the Bat¬ 
talion directed the work of 1,200 colored infantrymen in the con¬ 
struction of a line of rifle pits to connect Forts Bross and Prescott, 
a distance of a mile and three-quarters. The work was completed 
at daylight. 

July 14-15. The men were at work on Fort Bross, and on other 
usual details. 


July 16. A large detail was out all night, mainly on the Fifth 
Corps front. 


«Shot in this battery on June 17. 

6 The details were generally on duty for twenty-four hours, to avoid the time 
lost in marching to and from the place of work. 



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QUARTERS OF THE MEN IN FORT SEDGWICK. 















78 


July 17. A party, under Sergeant Sweetland of Company C, 
was out cutting timber for platforms for heavy guns. Company 
D put in a gate of heavy timber and a stockade, at Fort Bross. 
During the night, all the men of the Battalion were out at work, 
except the camp guard. 

July 18. A detail, under Sergt. Melville C. Grant, of C Com¬ 
pany, was out cutting embrasures in the works at the front of the 
Fifth Corps; a dangerous work for which the night was the most 
favorable time, as the lines were very close and all noise had to be 
avoided to prevent drawing artillery fire and that of the sharp¬ 
shooters. 

July 19. A small detail, under Corporal Blake, D Company, 
put the finishing touches to Fort Bross. Our heavy train came 
to camp, also the sick who were with it. The Essayons Orchestra 
tried a few airs in the evening, but the strenuous work of the past 
few weeks was found not to be conducive to the most exquisite 
tone and expression. 

July 20. At dark, a large detail from Company D went off for 
all night work at the front of the Fifth Corps. 

July 21. A detail built a magazine at Fort Sedgwick. Other 
details were out during the day, and at dark a detail from 
Company D relieved the revetting party at the Fifth Corps front. 

July 22. Sergeant Coughlan, with a detail, revetted a battery on 
the Fifth Corps front, returning to camp at three o’clock the next 
morning. A three-gun battery was also laid out. 

July 23. A detail revetted, with gabions, the traverses at Fort 
Sedgwick. Other details were out, one, from Company D, at Fort 
Rice. 

July 24. Sunday. The usual details were out’. 

July 25. The detail at Fort Sedgwick was shelled. 

July 26. The eighteen-gun battery at Fort Sedgwick was fin¬ 
ished, including all traverses and the lunette. 

July 27. Corporal Ames of Company B, with a detail, put a 
magazine in a six-gun battery. 

July 28. Sergeant Lovejoy, with a detail, was at work for about 
five hours on a six-gun battery, near the Taylor house. This detail 
had a most disagreeable piece of work in fixing a traverse, there 
being a number of buried soldiers whose bodies had to be moved 
before the work could proceed. 

Corporal Moloney, with six men, put in a magazine at a four- 





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SEiqE OF PETERSBURG. 

FORT CONAHEY. 


Confttj-uctjeO under the direction 

o) ’ 

N. MIOtLERdVlayur- of Engbs. U.SJL. 
Acting Chief Engineer 
1IY 

' s Lieut OV.Howell.U.S.EngVs. 


HEAD QUARTERS ARMY OFTHE POTOMAC 
ENGINEER DEPARTMENT 



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THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. MIAS HI NOTON. D. C 















































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79 


gun battery near Fort Morton, completing the work at 4 p. m. The 
batteries were now all completed. 

The famous “Battle of the Crater” occurred on July 30, on 
which date, at 5 a. m., the large mine built by the Forty-eighth 
Pennsylvania Volunteers, was blown up. Reveille for the Bat¬ 
talion was held at 2 a. m. After breakfast we marched, without 
arms and in our shirt sleeves, to the Fifth Corps headquarters, at 
Fort Meikle; the command being accompanied by a tool wagon. 
From this position at Fort Meikle we could see the mighty explo¬ 
sion of the mine, with its volcano-like column of smoke, earth, and 
fire; and we also witnessed the attack of the Ninth Corps, from 
which so much was hoped, and which proved to be such a failure. 
The Battalion was, in the meanwhile, held in readiness for any sud¬ 
den call. No demand being made upon us, however, we returned 
to camp in the afternoon. 

July 31. Sunday. Inspection of companies. All quiet along 
the lines. 

August 1. At dark Sergeant Shibley, with a detail, laid out a 
battery at the front. It was suspected that the enemy was mining 
toward Fort Sedgwick, and a party started to counter-mine in the 
trench of the fort. 

About this date a new line of fortifications was planned, intended 
to rectify the battle-line, and so enable it to be held with less force. 
It was also planned to enlarge Fort Sedgwick, and to construct 
between the Appomattox River and Fort Sedgwick six strong 
works, each capable of independent defense: Forts Haskell, Mc- 
Gilvery, Stedman, Morton, Rice, and Meikle; some of which, how¬ 
ever, were already in use as batteries, etc. A connecting line of 
rifle pits was laid out by Captain Harwood. 

August 2. The camp equipage was turned in for inspection and 
condemnation. A detail of forty men was engaged in cutting stuff 
for a hurdle revetment, for a battery in front of the Nintli Corps. 

August 3. At dark a detail of six men, under Corporal Thomp¬ 
son, went to the counter-mine at Fort Sedgwick, to determine defi¬ 
nitely, if possible, whether or not the enemy was mining toward 
that point. The detail arrived at the fort after dark, and found 
the infantry of the front line expecting an attack. It did not 
materialize, however, and the troops withdrew to their bombproofs 
near by. There was no detail at work in the mine, and the descent 
into it aroused in one queer and lonesome sensations. After get¬ 
ting quietly established at the end of the gallery, the supposed 


80 


picking could be plainly heard, apparently very close. A ramrod 
was driven at different places and held between the teeth to detect 
the direction of the mining, but without any definite result. At 
last, a man was stationed at the mouth of the mine, with instruc¬ 
tions to give the signal, by striking together two pebbles, whenever 
a sharpshooter fired. It was thus determined, by careful tests, that 
the sound of supposed mining was only the echo of the picket firing. 

August 4. Three shafts were started at Fort Sedgwick, to be 
finally connected by galleries. Water was struck at a depth of 
15 feet. A party, under Sergeant Smith of II Company, continued 
the work during the night. 

August 5. The usual details were out at the front. 

August 6. Details were out on a new battery on the Fifth Corps 
front. One of our parties, at work near Fort Sedgwick, was fired 
upon by artillery, but without casualty. 

August 7. Sunday. No inspection. The detail at the Fifth 
Corps front was shelled; the men at Fort Morton also having to 
work under a very severe fire. Details were out at night, cutting 
embrasures and building traverses at the left of the Ninth Corps. 

August 8. Sergeant Smith of Company B, with a detail of fifty 
men, went to Fort Morton, on which considerable changes were to 
be made. The work progressed very well, until, in razing an old 
covered way, the men became subjected to the fire of the sharp¬ 
shooters. Our artillery finally drove the Confederates from the' 
old house they occupied; but some of them on the right could not 
be quieted, although, as good luck would have it, they generally 
shot too high. The men ate their luncheon back in some woods, the 
stray bullets annoying them there also. In the afternoon, the men 
placed and filled gabions inside the fort, working, for half-hour 
periods, in reliefs of ten men each. A detail was also at work on a 
covered way. In spite of all care on the part of the men to avoid 
being seen at work, the enemy finally opened fire on the fort with 
two mortar batteries; the sharpshooters also again opened fire, from 
a new position where they could fire down into the fort. The 
Third Vermont Artillery, which garrisoned the fort, made effective 
reply. A fascine which two of our men were carrying was struck, 
and one of the men knocked over by a bullet hitting the heel of his 
shoe. Sergeant Smith had finally to order the men under cover, 
and, as there was no cessation of the fire, the detail returned to 
camp at 5 p. m. 

August 9. The work on Fort Morton, with the exception of 


81 


some minor details, was finished. The enemy kept up the fire, as 
on the previous day. A man of Company A was hit by a bullet 
glancing from the gabion he was placing. 

August 10. A detail, under Sergeant Coughlan, cut two embra¬ 
sures at Fort Morton. The sharpshooters kept up a severe fire, 
but no one was hurt. The men returned to camp at midnight. A 
detail was out each day surveying the forts and lines. 

August 11. A daily inspection of tents was ordered. 

August 12. Three men of Company B laid out a covered way, 
from a lunette to the railroad. 

August 13. The Battalion camp was remodeled, tents being 
reset, and company parades arranged. For amusement, the men 
had cross-bars, and a rope with rings for long jumping. 

August 14. Sunday. The Battalion remained in camp the 
entire day, although we were under orders to be ready to move at a 
moment’s notice, as an attack was expected. 

August 15. The Battalion remained in camp. 

August 16. A detail of twenty men went to start a work, in rear 
of the Fifth Corps, but, as the fatigue party did not report, the men 
returned to camp. A detail from Company B laid out a large 
work on the Weldon and Petersburg Railroad. 

August 17. Sergeant Coughlan and Corporal Moloney were out 
for a few hours, working on the left of the Ninth Corps. A new 
design of portable mess outfit, to be carried in the knapsack, was 
issued to the Battalion for trial. It consisted of a sort of half tin 
kettle, with dishes, etc., packed inside, and was found to be very 
serviceable, although it never supplanted the old reliable quart tin 
cup and the old brand of frying pan. 

August 18. A fierce cannonade broke out about midnight on 
the Weldon and Petersburg Railroad, which General Warren with 
the Fifth Corps captured later in the day. At 3 a. m., Companies 
A and B went to Fort Morton, to reset the upper tier of gabions 
of the traverses, which were out of place owing to the late heavy 
rain. One man of Company A was wounded. Companies C and 
D went out at night. 

August 19. Companies A and B laid out a large enclosed work, 
Fort Dushane, on the Weldon and Petersburg Railroad, the control 
of which road the Confederate troops were making desperate efforts 
to regain. 

August 20. The usual details were out. 

August 21. Large details were at work at the Fifth Corps front. 


82 


A detail, under Sergeant Love joy, began counter-mining at Bat¬ 
tery D. 

August 22. Parties were at work on the counter-mine. 

August 23. A detail, under Corp. Andrew Lent of D Company, 
went out at 6 p. m. to work on the bombproofs. 

August 24. Sunday. The headquarters band played religious 
music at daylight, as usual on Sundays. A detail under Sergeant 
Goughian built bombproofs at Ft. Dushane, and Corporal Moloney, 
with six axemen and twenty helpers, cleared away the timber and 
brush in front of the fort. 

August 25. An attack was expected on the Weldon Railroad, 
and it becoming necessary to lay out a battery for its protection, a 
detail under Corp. Decatur O. Blake of D Company, went out, for 
this purpose, at 4 a. m. Company B, in marching order, followed 
at 8. At 2 p. m. all the details were recalled to camp, and the Bat¬ 
talion, with rifles and belts, marched to near Fort Davis. Soon 
after our arrival there, General Meade came up from the left, and 
after some consultation between him and Captain Harwood, the 
Battalion was marched to the edge of a woods, where it manned a 
fresh line of rifle pits, in front and southeast of Fort Davis. We 
remained in position all night. 

August 26. The Battalion was relieved at 6 a. m. by a portion 
of the Second Corps, and returned to camp. By oversight, or for 
some good reason, the men had nothing to eat during all this time. 
The Battalion recuperated during the rest of the day. At night 
we went out to lay out a work, but soon returned. About this 
time, according to the report of the officer in charge of the topo¬ 
graphical operations of the Army, Maj. Nathaniel Michler, Corps 
of Engineers, Fort Wadsworth was begun by Lieutenants Ben- 
yaurd and Lydecker; Forts Howard and Alexander Hayes were 
also commenced. The Battalion attended to the construction of all 
the works from the Appomattox River to the Weldon and Peters¬ 
burg Railroad, including Forts Dushane and Wadsworth, although 
the latter was completed by the Fiftieth New York Engineers. 

August 27-28. Companies C and D were out building bomb- 
proofs at a four-gun battery, known by the men as “our battery.’’ 
Company B laid out Fort Wadsworth on the 27th. 

August 29. Artillery duels occurred constantly, the enemy 
using mortars almost entirely. A detail of sixteen men of Com¬ 
pany D and twenty-four of Company C, under Sergt. Zenas Stod¬ 
dard, C Company, continued the construction of the bombproofs 


83 
















84 


at “our battery.” A large fatigue party, from the Second Corps, 
was at work on the new covered way running to the left of Fort 
Sedgwick. Companies A and B, at Fort Wadsworth, were relieved 
by a company of the Fiftieth New York Engineers, at 8 a. m. The 
companies marched down the line about 2 miles and went into 
camp. 

August 30. Company B began the construction of Fort Du- 
shane, near which the enemy was camped. The men were engaged 
on this work ten hours each day. 

August 31. The Battalion was mustered by Captain Harwood, 
six months’ pay being due. Company B continued work on Fort 
Dushane, a large force of infantry assisting. A large detail was 
out at the four-gun battery. 

September 1. One side of Fort Dushane was completed. 

The sites of the following forts and works were selected: Davison, 
McMahon, Stevenson (a large redoubt, 400 feet square), Blaisdell, 
and Kelly. These works, situated on the rear line and connecting 
Fort Dushane with the former salient at Fort Bross, were con¬ 
structed under the superintendence of the officers and men of the 
Battalion. 

\ 

September 2. A small detail constructed a drain for the ditch 
at Fort Davis. The work of keeping the fortifications in good 
order and ready for service required much care and labor, espec¬ 
ially on account of the heavy rainfall. 

September 3. Company B was at work at Fort Dushane, as was 
a detail also at Fort Davis. 

September 4. Company B received orders to return to the main 
camp, Fort Dushane being nearly completed. Sergeant Lovejoy 
and a detail were engaged at Fort Davis, on repair work. 

September 5. Companies A and B returned to the main camp, 
following the line as far as Fort Davis. Company D, in marching 
order, left the main camp at 1 p. m. and went into camp at the 
Williams house, near the Jerusalem plank road. During the night 
the company went out on fatigue duty. 

September 6. Company C left camp, in marching order, and 
joined Company D, in camp at the Williams house. Details from 
Company D laid out six batteries and a long line of rifle pits; this 
included the rear line selected September 1, and Batteries 26, 27, 
and 28. 

i 

September 7. Company D completed an eight-gun battery. It 


85 

was relieved at noon by Company C, which had arrived from the 
main camp. 

September 8-9. Companies A and B were engaged in putting 
the main camp in order. Companies C and D continued in camp 
at the Williams house, superintending the construction of fortifica¬ 
tions in that vicinity. 

September 10. Captain Harwood located Fort Stevenson. The 
batteries and rifle pits were about finished at this date. Company 
A went to the front to work on the four-gun battery. The eight- 
gun battery was changed to a ten-gun battery, the Twentieth 
Michigan Volunteer Infantry serving as a fatigue detail. 

September 11. Company B, at the main camp, commenced to 
arrange its tents for the winter by putting in log sides and fire¬ 
places; some ruined houses near by furnishing brick for the latter 
purpose. Company A completed its work of putting the camp in 
order. Corporal Moloney of D Company, with a detail, laid out 
Fort Stevenson. 

September 12. The work on Fort Stevenson was pushed, and 
the construction of the magazines begun. 

September 13. Corporal Moloney and a detail were engaged in 
cutting timber for the magazines. 

September 14. A fatigue party from the Second Michigan Vol¬ 
unteer Infantry assisted in getting out timber, thirty wagon loads 
being sent to the fort. An enormous amount of timber was slashed 
and otherwise arranged as an obstruction, in front of the lines of 
fortifications. 

September 15. The usual details were out. 

September 16. Companies C and D were relieved, in the after¬ 
noon, by the Fiftieth New York Engineers, and returned to the 
main camp, reaching the same at 8 p. m. The infantry were all 
under marching orders. 

September 17. Company A was out at work on Fort Morton. 
According to General Michler’s report, the new extension of forti¬ 
fications on the left flank was examined and found complete. 

September 18. A detail went out to work awhile. 

September 19. Company A was at work on Fort Morton, the 
other companies being in camp. 

September 20. Company A continued the work at Fort Morton. 
The detail worked under fire all day, but succeeded in finishing the 
magazine. The men were making ready to return to camp, when 


86 


one of them (Private Thomas Perry) was shot through the head 
and fatally wounded.® 

September 21. One hundred guns were fired at daybreak, in 
honor of General Sheridan’s victory at Winchester. 

Company C marched with three days’ rations, to near Prince 
George Court House, to get brick for fireplaces. Company B, in 
marching order and with rations, went to within 1 mile of City 
Point to construct works. 

September 22. The companies were employed as on the previous 
day. Sixteen men received their discharges, their terms of enlist¬ 
ment having expired. 

September 23. Company B was near City Point, cutting pro¬ 
file material, and surveying in the same vicinity. 

Another hundred-gun salute was fired. 

September 24. Company D, at 5 p. m., went to Fort Sedgwick, 
to repair the embrasures, the enemy having poured in an unusually 
severe fire on this fort the past few days. Each five men had two 
embrasures to put in order, the work not being finished until 1 
a. m. 6 


a Just as the detail was ready to return to camp, Berry was heard to say that 
it would look better if the dirt were leveled off a little more on top—it 
wouldn’t take but a minute. He jumped up, shovel in hand, and began to 
work the dirt down, when he was struck by the bullet which caused his death. 
He was buried with military honors the next day, at retreat, Captain Harwood 
reading the Episcopal service. 

&A description of this night’s difficult work is quoted from the journal of 
Corp. Thomas Moloney, Company D. ‘ ‘ We reached the fort at early dusk, 
some carrying gabions on their heads, others with picks, shovels, and axes, and 
squads of men carrying fascines. When inside the fort we were detailed to 
certain embrasures, after which we waited for such shelter as darkness might 
afford, as the enemy’s pickets were very close. About 9 o’clock we started 
to work. Being a non-commissioned officer, I had—or thought I had—a great 
deal of pride and courage, so I jumped into the opening, and ordered the men 
with me to throw up the sand bags. No sooner had I said this than zip-whiz- 
spat came in the bullets. The enemy’s pickets must have heard every w 7 ord I 
said. I forgot my bravery and fell flat on my face, rolling a sand bag out in 
front of my head. It was not a second too soon, as the bullets began to hit 
the bag. But I managed to get the front of the embrasure filled with sand 
bags, behind which we went to work, tearing out the old revetments, which 
were replaced and reset with tly>se we had brought along. All of this work 
was done while on our knees. Thus we managed to get along in comparative 
safety, until we had to take down the breastwork of sand bags in order to 
tamp down the sole of ,the embrasure. This was the hardest part of all, as 
the enemy knew we were at work and kept up a fire on us—or, at least, in our 
general direction. The artillerymen assisted us in many ways, and one of 
them was hit in the breast, while helping me tamp. I did not learn whether 
he died or not. ’ ’ 



87 


I lie Battalion did so much of this night work that the daytime 
had to a considerable extent to be devoted to rest. To this, no 
doubt, was due the statement that the “U. S. Engineers were more 
ornamental than useful, and their principal duty seemed to be to 
loaf around General Headquarters.” One of the motives which led 
to this compilation of the Civil War history of the Engineer Bat¬ 
talion, was the wish to show what the men of the Battalion were 
doing when not ‘‘on a regular loaf.” 

September 25. Sunday, and pay day. Company D went to 
Fort Sedgwick. Company B was at City Point, surveying and 
clearing the ground for a redoubt. 

September 26. Company B, at City Point, began cutting timber 
for a new fort, First Lieut. Charles B. Phillips, who had joined the 
Battalion, being in charge. At 5 p. m., fifteen men from Company 
B went to repair embrasures at Fort Sedgwick, returning at 
10 p. m. 

September 27. Company B continued working on fortifications 
at City Point. Lieutenant Howell came down in the afternoon, and 
under his directions a new fort was staked out. At dark, orders 
were received to pack up and be ready to return to General Head¬ 
quarters. A detail of fifteen men from Company D went out for 
night work. 

September 28. A detail from Company D was sent to Fort 
Stedman, but had scarcely started to work when it was ordered 
back to camp. The Battalion was issued four days’ rations and 
sixty rounds of ammunition. Company B returned at midnight, 
and drew three days’ rations. The Battalion was to be ready to 
move at 6 a. m. the next morning. 

September 29. The tents were taken down early, and the Bat¬ 
talion was ready to move at a moment’s notice. Company B was 
issued one more day’s rations. All fortification work was sus¬ 
pended, as important operations of the Army were in progress, 
which might involve a general movement. The men lay in camp, 
under bare poles, all day. The Battalion was inspected under arms. 

September 30. Our tents were put up again. 

The Battalion on this date numbered 272 men on the ground, of 
whom 34 were on detached duty, 18 on guard, 40 sick, and 5 not for 
service, leaving 175 men under arms to move. We remained in 
camp all day, ready to march. Hard fighting occurred at our 
left, General Meade having ordered a reconnaissance in force on 
the enemy’s lines. 


88 


October 1. The men were still held in readiness to move. 

October 2. Sunday. About noon we broke camp, and marched 
toward the left about 7 miles, camping in the woods about a quarter 
of a mile in rear of Fort Howard. This location was destined to be 
our winter camp, known as “Camp Woodbury.” 

October 3. We were engaged in clearing away wood and brush 
from the campground. Six men of Company C received their 
discharges. 

October 4. At 3 a. m. the Battalion, under arms, and with 
haversacks and one day’s rations, -went out on fatigue duty near 
Poplar Grove Church, staking out “Fort Cummings.” The detail 
returned to camp at dark. A new r system of flank works was se¬ 
lected, connecting in with Forts Wadsworth and Dushane, and in¬ 
cluding a front and rear line of enclosed works, twelve in all, with 
connecting rifle pits. One of these works, Fort Fisher, was after¬ 
wards remodeled into a very important and extensive work, being 
at the salient of the line. The entire line from the Appomattox 
was now 32 miles in length, comprising 36 enclosed forts and 50 
batteries, to which might be added the 8 enclosed works at City 
Point. 

October 5. Company B was at work at a fort, in front of the 
Peebles’ house. Large infantry details assisted. 

October 6. At 4 p. m., Company D relieved Company B. Com¬ 
panies A, B, and C remained in camp. 

October 7. Company C was at work. 

October 8. Companies A, B, and C worked on a five-gun battery, 
finishing it at 3 p. m. Company B then went toward the right and 
cleared off the ground for another battery. The troops advanced 
on the left about a mile and a half and captured a line of works 
held by only a small force of the enemy. 

October 9. The Battalion remained in camp. Artificer Timothy 
Collins, of Company C, died of fever. Company C was out on 
fatigue duty. 

October 10. Companies A and B were out at the front. Arti¬ 
ficer Collins was buried at the camp. 

October 11. Companies C and D worked on a seven-gun battery, 
and started a small redoubt at the left of the Ninth Corps, under 
Lieutenant Howell. 

October 12. One of the forts was finished. 

Company B staked out a new redoubt, Fort Conahey, at the right 
of the railroad. This work was a queer affair, designed by Lieu- 


% 



ENGINEER CAMP BEFORE PETERSBURG 








90 


tenant Howell, and resembled an earthen monitor, or two-story 
bombproof, all the guns being under cover. 

October 13-16. All the companies were at work on the fort com¬ 
menced the day before. 

October 16. The companies were at work as usual. 

Major Michler, with Captain Gillespie and Lieutenant Benyaurd, 
made a critical examination of the ground between Fort McGilvery 
and the junction of Swift Creek with the Appomattox River, as to 
the possibility of forcing a crossing of the river and severing the 
enemy’s connection with Richmond. 

October 17. The redoubt was finished. Other works were also 
under construction, by the Battalion, at this time.* Company A 
went to the right, in marching order and prepared to camp out, 
while repairing works. 

October 18. Duties as usual. 

Company A was engaged in counter-mining operations at Fort 
Sedgwick. The construction of a stockade at Fort Conahey was 
commenced. 

October 20. Company C, which had finished its battery, assisted 
at the one being built by Company B. 

The Army at this time was full of vim, owing greatly to the suc¬ 
cesses of the cavalry under General Sheridan. A round of cheering 
would go along the line, for the slightest cause, from the left to the 
Janies River. 

October 22. At work on the stockade at Fort Conahey, the 
progress on which was very slow. 

October 23. Sunday. Inspection at 10.30 a. m. 

October 24. Two new redoubts were ordered to lie constructed, 
near the Gibben or Friend house. 

October 25. Orders were received for the Battalion camp to 
move the next morning. 

October 26. At 8 a. m., the Battalion marched to Poplar Grove 

Church and camped with General Headquarters. All the trains 

were ordered to Citv Point. 

«/ 

On October 27tli a movement was made on the left, for the 
double purpose of capturing the South Side Railroad and of deter¬ 
mining the extent and state of the enemy’s fortifications on that 
Hank. After reveille, at 2.30 a. m., the Battalion, under command 
of Lieut. Charles B. Phillips, marched to the front, having been 

*These works had local designations, such as “Company B’s fort,” 
“Company C’s fort,” etc. 



91 


ordered to the support of General Miles, whose division manned a 
very considerable portion of the Union line, while the other troops 
were engaged in the attack at the left. We took position, under 
arms, in the ride pits at the left of Port Fisher. Shortly after¬ 
wards, however, the Battalion took up a new position, in the rifle 
pits between Ports Fisher and Conahey, the breastworks at which 
point were excellently constructed, with two strong lines of abattis 
in front. There was heavy tiring at the left, in the vicinity of the 
Boydton road and Hatchers Run, where the battle was being 
fought. The attacking troops returned to their former positions 
in the afternoon of October 28th, and at 6 p. m. the Battalion, re¬ 
lieved of its duty, started for Camp Woodbury, reaching the camp 
at 8 p. m., after a quick march of about 7 miles. 

October 29. The day was spent in clearing up camp and getting 
things in order. 

October 30. Sunday. A very careful inspection was made of 
the command and the camp. Heavy firing occurred on the right, 
during the day. 

October 31. Muster. Company C, in marching order, went to 
Port Stedinan,*to work on a counter-mine there. Company U was 
at work on Port Howard, and Company B on Port Conahey. 

November 1. The nights were now quite cold, and a local in¬ 
dustry began to flourish, in the making of stoves out of tin cans. 
The solder was first melted, after which the tin was flattened into 
sheets, and these closely jointed into larger ones, from which the 
stoves were built up. The construction of log houses was also 
begun; these were of all styles, and built by the individual men, as 
the spirit moved them. 

November 2. A magazine was constructed at Port Howard, and 
some work was done on Port Conahey. 

November 3. Usual fortification work. 

November 4. Company B completed the stockade commenced at 
Port Conahey the 18th of October. The company returned to 
camp at dark. 

November 5-8. The Battalion was engaged in fortification work. 

November 8. Election day. Voting for President took place 
throughout the Army. 

November 9. Our winter clothing came in during the evening, 

receiving a hearty welcome. 

November 10. At work on the magazines. 

November 14. Finished the covering of the magazines. 


92 

November 15. Out on works. Orders were issued to build 
winter quarters. 

November 16. Company B out revetting works. 

November 17. Fort Conahey, commenced October 12th, was 
completed. Corporal Lent and eight men, with four wagons, went 
to Prince George Court House for brick. 

November 18. Orders were issued to the Army that eight days’ 
rations were to be kept in the company wagons, and everything 
held in readiness for a move. 

November 19. No mail, the cars having run off the track of the 
Military Railroad. Company C returned to camp from its work. 

November 22. The log huts were overhauled, and made more 
comfortable by being elevated the thickness of one or more logs. 

November 24. The Battalion received from City Point a number 
of barrels of turkeys and chickens, for its Thanksgiving dinner. 

November 25. Thanksgiving. The men had a grand dinner. 

A regular winter camp was laid out, under charge of First Lieut. 
David P. Heap, who had joined the Battalion on October 13. 

WINTER CAMP BEFORE PETERSBURG, 1 &64-1865. 

November 26. The construction of regular winter quarters was 
actively entered upon.* 

December 9. At 2 p. m. recall from fatigue was sounded. We 
fell in under arms, with blankets, and were issued four days’ ra¬ 
tions. The Battalion then marched, with the headquarters of the 
“Provisional Brigade,” about 8 miles to the left, and held a portion 
of the line, with the Second Corps. Three inches of snow fell 
during the night. 

December 10. The Battalion returned to camp at 5 p. m. 

December 11. The guard, which had been on duty at camp 
since the 8th, was relieved at retreat. 

December 12. The Battalion was held under marching orders. 

December 25. Christmas. A fine dinner. 

December 28-30. Trouble was had in the construction of the 
quartermaster’s quarters; the negro teamsters, whose wages were 
overdue, refusing to work unless paid. 

December 31. During a heavy rain storm, at about 2 a. m., fierce 
picket firing broke out in our immediate front. The yelling seemed 
close to camp, and the long roll was sounded by the guard, for the 


*These quarters were completed the last of January. 



93 





















94 


first time for three years. All the camps near us followed with the 
long roll. The Battalion fell in under arms, and Company I) was 
marched by Lieutenant Phillips to Fort Howard, with orders to 
hold it at all hazards. The company was the first at the front, al¬ 
though a New Jersey brigade, which was camped near us, arrived 

soon after, and one company was deployed to the front. No fur- 

> 

flier developments occurred, however, and the troops returned to 
camp. 

Januarv 1. Sunday, and New Year’s Day. 

January 7. A line was selected between Fort Sampson and 
Armstrongs Mill. 

January 30. The Battalion received orders to be ready to move. 
Five days’ rations were issued, to be kept in hand. 

January 31. Marching orders were received at 11a. m. 

February 3. Orders to move were countermanded, and the five 
days’ rations were turned in. Recruiting parties were sent into 
Maryland, Maine, New York, and Connecticut. 

February 5. The beginning of the Battle of Dabneys Mills. 
We drew five days’ rations, and received orders to be ready to 
march at any time. 

February 6. At daylight, the Battalion occupied the rifle pits 
in front of the camp, near Fort Howard, remaining there until the 
afternoon of the 7th, when we returned to camp. 

February 8. Companies B and D marched to the left, to lay 
out fortifications. Our lines, by virtue of the past few days’ opera¬ 
tions, now extended to Hatchers Run. 

February 9. The Company B men who were on guard joined 
their company at flu* left, near Hatchers Run. They laid out 
rifle pits and batteries in that vicinity. 

February 10. A detail went to work, returning to camp in the 
afternoon. 

February 11. Company C went to Fort Dushane. 

February 12-16. As usual. 

February 17. Companies B and 1) returned to camp. 

February 18-March 24. The Battalion was engaged in various 
repairs of the fortifications. A portion of the mine at Fort Sedg¬ 
wick fell in while being repaired by Company A, and some of the 
detail, who were caught in the shaft, had to be dug out. 

March 25. An attack was made before daylight on Fort Sted- 
man; although captured, the fort was held by the enemy for only 


95 


<\ short time, the captors being in turn captured. The Battalion 
remained in camp. 

.March 26. The Battalion received orders to be ready to move 
■at a moment’s notice, as another attack was expected at any time. 


APPOMATTOX CAMPAIGN AND CLOSE OF ACTIVE SERVICE. 

March 29. The Army was set in motion at last, “with the two¬ 
fold object of forcing the enemy from his position in front of 
Petersburg by a turning movement, and assuring the success of the 
cavalry under the command of General Sheridan. General Head¬ 
quarters moved out at 2 a. m., and the Battalion broke up its 
winter camp and followed, repairing and keeping the roads in 
order. Camp was made at headquarters, on the Vaughan road. 
Rain fell in torrents during the night. 

March 30. The Battalion was engaged in corduroying roads 
beyond Hatchers Run. The rain continued, and the soil was like 
quicksand, apparently without bottom. Headquarters was moved 
to Dabneys Mills. 

March 31. The Battalion, under Lieutenant Benyaurd, cordu¬ 
royed the road and built a crib bridge across Gravelly Run, which 
was very much swollen. Two cribs were required for the bridge. 
A building near by was torn down for the flooring. The bridge 
was ready for infantry early on April 1st, at which time it was 
crossed by the Fifth Corps, hastening to join Sheridan in lus 
attack on Five Forks. 

April 2. Sunday. At night the enemy’evacuated Petersburg 
and Richmond, and both armies were once more in the open 
country. 

April 3. Lee’s Army was, off to join Johnston in North Caro¬ 
lina. General Grant, aware of this, set off in pursuit at once, the 
two armies racing on parallel roads. General Headquarters camped 
on the Cox road, near the South Side Railroad. A detachment 
of the Battalion surveyed and chained the route of march. 

April 4. The same detachment chained and surveyed the main 
road, to the outer line of works at Petersburg. 

April 5. At the close of the Battle of Sailors Creek, the Bat¬ 
talion cleared the ground of the dead and wounded, and of cap¬ 
tured artillery and wagons, so that the march could be resumed. 

April 7. We marched to Rices Station. / 

April 8. We marched about 10 miles, and camped at a house on 
the Buckingham road, beyond Farmville. 


96 


April 9. Lee’s Army surrendered in the afternoon, near Appo¬ 
mattox Court House, amid mutual rejoicing. The Battalion was 
with the Second Corps, which had the advance. On this short 
but eventful and final campaign, both the officers and men of the 
Battalion were constantly on duty, not only keeping the roads in 
order, but keeping at the head of the Army; and very often carry¬ 
ing their intrenching tools in addition to the arms and equipments. 

April 10. We returned to camp, with a usual camp guard. 
Ample rations were issued, which were freely divided with our 
friends, the enemy. 

April 11. The Battalion moved back along our former route, 
and camped within 1 mile of Farmville. it was a long march, 
and the wagons were stuck in the mud and delayed. 

April 12. We marched through Farmville and camped within 
3 miles of Burkesville Junction. The roads were very bad, and we 
were without rations. It rained all night. 


April 13. .Reveille was held at 3.30 a. m. The Battalion 
marched over to headquarters; after remaining there about two 
hours, we crossed the railroad and went into camp. The men were 
all worn out. Four days’ rations were issued, two days’ of which 
were eaten within an hour. 


President Lincoln was assassinated on the evening of the 14th. 
The soldiers felt keenly the loss of one who had appreciated, every 
hour, the toils and dangers through which they were passing. 

The Battalion movejl camp to about 1 mile from the station at 
Burkesville. 

April 17. The Battalion was engaged in building bridges near 
camp. At 10 a. m., a small detail took a hand-car and went to 
High Bridge, to make a survey of the fortifications there. 

April 18. Work was continued on the survey. 

April 19. The detail finished its survey in the forenoon, and 
returned to camp at 5 p. m. 

May 1. We broke the camp established April 14th, and marched 
to the station, where we entrained. Upon arrival at City Point, 
camp was made on a hill near the railroad. 

May 2. At 10 a. m., we took charge of the extra boat trains of 
the Army, which were parked near by. Companies A, B, and I) 
marched to Petersburg, arriving there about 6 p. m. After re¬ 
maining there two hours, however, the orders were countermanded, 
and these companies returned to a landing on the Appomattox 




97 


River. Company C had, in the meantime, thrown a ponton bridge 
across the river at that point. 

May 3. In the forenoon we worked a few hours, loading the 
extra boats on wagons. At 2 p. m., the Battalion moved across 
the river, stacked arms, and commenced to take up the bridge, 
Company C, Fifteenth New York Volunteers, assisting. Quite a 
number of minor accidents occurred on this day. Several of the 
men were bruised. A mule kicked one man into the river, and two 
others fell in. Later in the day, as a boat was being hauled out, 
it gave a lurch, and two of the men had to jump for their lives, 
one being badly hurt. These accidents were quite unaccountable, 
surpassing, as they did, those of the really dangerous episodes of 
the Battalion during its previous campaigns. 

The bridge train was loaded at last, and moved a short distance 
up the bluff. We drew four days’ rations, and cooked supper, 
without any further accidents. After supper the men were dis¬ 
tributed along the train, and we started for Aikens Landing. The 
night was pleasant, but the roads were very bad, and at 2 a. m. we 
were compelled to stop until daylight. 

May 4. We accompanied the boat train and at about noon 
crossed the James River, over a ponton bridge, at Aikens Landing. 
We reached Richmond in the afternoon, and parked the train in 
the suburbs. We marched up Main street to Capitol Hill, then 
found we were on the wrong road, and went back on Broad street 
to a lower part of the city. We left the city at last by Eighteenth 
street, striking the Mechanicsville road. The latter part of the 
night was rainy, and we finally parked at 2 a. m., the 5th, at 
Mechanicsville. 

May 5. We started out at 7 a. m., passing through the village. 
The roads were very bad and hilly, and in the evening we had 
hard work getting the train over a steep hill. We halted at Jones' 
farm at 9 p. m. 

May 6. The train started out at 5.30 a. m., and the Battalion 
followed at 7. We arrived at Hanover Court House about noon, 
and shortly afterwards crossed the Pamunkey River, and parked. 
We moved again at 9 p. m. and halted at 1 a. m., the 7th, near 
Milwood Tavern, about 6 miles from the river. 

May 7. We moved out at 8 a. m. and, after marching 3 miles, 
halted and stacked arms, having to help the train over a steep hill. 
We reached the Mattapony at 3 p. m., and cleared the road out to 


98 


a bridge which the Fiftieth Engineers had built. 0 We crossed the 
river about b p. m. and parked a short distance on the other side, 


camping at Milford Station. 

May 8. We moved out at 7 a. m. Passed through Bowling 
Green at noon. We had a hard time with the train; the mules 
were worn out, and one had to be abandoned entirely. We camped 
on the “Widow Smith’s farm" at 6 p. m., about 3 miles from 
F red e r i cksbur g. 

May 9. We moved at 6 a. m., and crossed the Rappahannock 
River at our old scene of bridge building—but in peaceP 

May 10. We broke camp at 2 p. m. and passed through Dum¬ 
fries, crossing the Oceoquan River above the village and camping 
near by. 


May 11. It rained very hard all night, and the river was so 
high that the Battalion had to build a bridge for the trains to 
cross, as fording was not possible. 

May 12. We were at work all day keeping the roads in order. 

May 13. The Second Corps crossed. The trains could now 
ford, and the Battalion bridge was taken up. We moved at 4 p. m. 
and camped at Fairfax Court House, near the camp of our first 
march of 1862. 

May 14. AVe moved out at 7 a. m., and made our last camp, 
near Fort Berry. The Battalion was in rags and tatters, our shoes 
held together by thongs, our canvas trousers in shreds, and our 
hats and blouses tattered and torn. 

May 23. The Battalion took part in the Grand Review of the 
Army of the Potomac, occupying the place at the right of the in¬ 
fantry. It was formed of eight companies, Capt. Franklin Har¬ 
wood being in command of the Battalion, and non-commissioned 
officers in command of the companies. The men wore new uni¬ 
forms, and half of them carried short picket spades swung from 
their belts. 


. aThis regiment probably built all the ponton bridges for this return march. 

& The Battalion left Richmond the evening of May 4th; on May 9th, at noon, 
we were at the Rappahannock River crossing near Fredericksburg, the average 
march each day being about 15 miles. The record shows that it was a forced 
march, and one who was on it, writes: “I have always considered that of all 
our marches by day and by night, the march from Richmond to Fredericks¬ 
burg was the most severe. We cleared roads, hauled wagons over steep and 
almost impassable roads, and when the mules fell exhausted w r e took their 
places. ” The Battalion passed through Stafford Court House—another Bat¬ 
talion landmark—and camped 4 miles beyond. 



99 


The Battalion, after the review, was stationed at the Navy Yard, 

at Washington, and took charge of all the engineer trains and of 

their shipment to Willets Point, New York Harbor. The Bat- 

# 

talion later was moved to Willets Point, Companies A, B, and D 
arriving there June 20, 1865, and Company C in December. Com¬ 
pany A, however, immediately after its arrival at Willets Point, 
was ordered to West Point, where it took up the duties dropped 
there at the beginning of the war now happily ended. 


APPENDIX I. 


TJIE MILITARY ENGINEERS, 186M865. 


[Extracts from an article prepared by the Author for the Thirty-sixth National Encamp¬ 
ment of the Grand Army of the Republic.] 

It is proposed to note briefly here, the services of the Engineer organizations, 
particularly volunteer, during the war of 1861-1865. 

The general statement may be made that their services were unremitting, and, 
although their losses were small in killed and wounded, as compared with the 
‘‘fighting infantry,” yet it is perfectly safe to aver that every Engineer organ¬ 
ization was recruited more than twice over, to make up for the ravages of plain 
“wear and tear.” These troops were put in line of battle at various times, 
acting as infantry, and just as liable as the other troops to be actively en¬ 
gaged. They suffered mainly from the fire of sharpshooters, while performing 
their manifold duties, without arms and often without infantry support. 
Troops crossed bridges; they were guided at night along freshly cleared roads; 
the officers used maps; and without one thought as to by whom all this was 
prepared or accomplished. 

The Engineer troops of the Army of the Potomac comprised the United 
States Engineer Battalion, the Fifteenth and the Fiftieth New York Volun¬ 
teer Engineers, and numbered altogether over two thousand officers and men. 
These organizations were a part of that Army throughout the entire period of 
its existence, during which there was not a movement in which some Engineer 
officer or soldier did not take a part. 

The Engineer troops of the Army of the Potomac, Regular and Volunteer, 
worked side by side, in good will and good natured rivalry, and it is not an 
easy task to separate their records into distinctive service. During the Seven 
Days’ Battle their axes kept the redoubtable Jackson out of active service 
until the Battle of Malvern Hill, after that of Gaines Mill had been fought. 
In December, 1862, the Fiftieth New York Engineers laid the bridges at the 
city of Fredericksburg, and suffered badly, while the other Engineers put 
across the bridges for General Franklin’s crossing below the city. This was 
repeated for the Chancellorsville Battle, but, on June 5, 1863, the bridges were 
put out in open daylight, under the fire of sharpshooters. Capt. Chas. E. 
Cross, of the Regulars, was instantly killed and there were other losses. This 
affair was as daring and brilliant as boarding a ship in a fight at sea, and not 
unlike it. The building of the bridge at Edwards Ferry, across the rapid 
Potomac, between sunrise and daylight, June 21, 1863, previous to the Battle 
of Gettysburg, was a remarkable piece of work. General Hooker’s Army 
began crossing immediately, and a second bridge was also laid. These bridges 
were taken up in a single night, dune 27th, and the Engineers caught up with 
General Meade’s headquarters, at Taneytown, by the evening of July 1. The 

100 




101 


Volunteer Engineers were present at the Battle of Gettysbu rg, as also some 
officers of the Regular Battalion. 

At the Battle of the Wilderness, May, 1864, the Engineers acted as infantry. 

The bridging of James River for the advance on Petersburg was the last 
conspicuous work of the Engineers, after which came the long work of the in¬ 
vestment of Petersburg, ending with the rush and push to Appomattox, at 
which the Engineers of the Army of the Potomac were all present. 

Companies A and I of the Fifteenth New York Engineers were in the final 
attack upon Fort Fisher, North Carolina, January 13-15, 1865, and three 
companies of this regiment were part of General Sherman’s forces in the 
“March to the Sea, ’ ’ 1865. Detachments of Regular Engineers were on duty 
at the Sieges of Fort Pulaski and Fort Sumter; with the Port Royal Expedi¬ 
tion, and at Cumberland Gap, Tenn., and Little Rock, Ark. 

From the “History of the First Missouri Engineers and the Twenty-fifth 
Infantry Regiment, ” by Dr. W. A. Neal, many interesting facts may be 
obtained, but necessarily much abbreviated for the present purpose. 

The First Missouri Volunteer Engineers was organized by Col. J. W. Bissell, 
from companies recruited in Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa, July, 1861, at 
St. Louis, Mo., beginning active service the 6t.h of August. This regiment was 
active in the reduction of New Madrid, and it was in the construction of the' 
“New Madrid Canal,” to avoid Island No. 10, that this regiment won dis¬ 
tinction. The regiment was present at the Siege of Corinth, and in the Holly 
Springs and Vicksburg Campaigns. 

During February, 1864, the organization was consolidated with the Twenty- 
fifth Missouri Infantry at Nashville, Tenn., and afterwards known as the 
11 First Missouri Engineers, ’ ’ numbering about twelve hundred men. It took 
an active part in the Atlanta Campaign. A number of the regiment suffered 
death in the “Centralia Massacre.” 

On the famous “March to the Sea,” these Engineers built numerous ponton 
and other bridges, and finally, at the close of the Grand Review, May 24, 1865, 
camped near Columbia College, on Fourteenth street, N. W., Washington, D. C. 
The regiment was mustered out of service at Louisville, Ky., the 22d of July, 
1865. 

The First United States Veteran Volunteer Engineer Regiment was com¬ 
posed of members of the pioneer brigade of the Army of the Cumberland, and 
was organized July 8, 1864. Mustered out, June 30, 1865. 

The First New’ York Volunteer Engineers, Col. Ed. W. Serrell, made an in¬ 
teresting record. This regiment was in the Port Royal, S. C., Expedition, 
November, 1861; at James Island, S. C., June 16, 1862; at Pocataligo, S. C., 
October 22, 1862; and placed the “Swamp Angel,” in position on Morris 
Island, S. C., July, 1863, during the operations against Charleston. Eight 
companies were with the Army of the James, 1864, and built the longest ponton 
bridge of the war, at Richmond, Va., May, 1865. 

The First Michigan Engineers and Mechanics Regiment was organized at 
Detroit, Mich., August, 1862. It took part in the battles of Mills Springs, 
Stone River, and Chattanooga, Tenn. It was during the battles of Stone 


102 


River, Tenn., that it gained the reputation of being the only Engineer regi¬ 
ment during the war that had a stand-up fight of its own, when it successfully 
repulsed an attack of Wheeler’s cavalry at La Vergne, Tenn., January 1, 1863. 
It followed the fortunes of the army under General Sherman, and was mus¬ 
tered out September 22', 1865. 

The First Louisiana Engineers, Corps d’Afrique, was organized in 1863, 
and took part in the capture of Port Hudson, July 8, 1863; the Red River 
Expedition of 1864; the Siege of Mobile, etc. 

There may be found mention of small organic ations, possibly acting as En¬ 
gineer troops, which performed notable service. Among those noted, are 
“Captain Mape’s Pioneers,” at Front Royal, Ya., May 23, 1862. A company 
of “Kentucky Engineers,” under Capt. Win. F. Patterson, on the retreat 
from Cumberland Gap, and at Vicksburg, “rendered important service.” 
There was an “Engineer Battalion” at the Siege of Knoxville, Tenn., under 
Capt. O. S. McClure, December, 1863. 

The Military Railroad Engineers may be mentioned, although their work 
was of a special branch—that of railroad repairs, especially to bridges. They 
were so well provided with material for rapid work that it was asserted that 
they “carried a tunnel, already bored, along with them,” and any kind of 
railroad destruction was comparatively useless and speedily repaired by them. 

Aside from the regular investment of cities and forts, carried on under the 
direction of Engineer officers, there were some notable feats performed, among 
which was the releasing of the gunboats during the Red River Campaign of 
1864, by Lieut. Col. Joseph Bailey, of the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry, and 
Acting Engineer Officer. The mine at Petersburg, the explosion of which 
ended in the “Battle of the Crater,” was constructed by Col. Henry Pleasant’s 
regiment of Pennsylvania troops, June, 1864, and so far as the work of mining 
was concerned, was entirely successful. 


APPENDIX II. 


MILITARY BRIDGES OYER THE CHIGKAIIOMINY, 1862. 


[•Extracts from a Paper by the Author.] 

There were a number of bridges and crossings, of the Chickahominy, which 
were destroyed upon the approach of General McClellan, in May, 1862. Some 
of them date back to the time of the American Revolution, and the rebuilding of 
these, together with the construction of a few new bridges, caused considerable 
confusion in their designations, as appears from the official reports and maps 
of the operations in that vicinity. I have had occasion to unravel some puzzles 
in which these crossings were involved, and will offer an account of them 
which I trust will be of interest. 

I will begin with the one known as “ Bottom Bridge, ’ ’ at the crossing of the 
Williamsburg stage road to Richmond, about 1 mile below the bridge of the 
Richmond and York River Railroad. The name is probably derived from the 
bottom lands characteristic of the Chickahominy. 

The division of General Casey reached this place on May 20th, and crossed 
without opposition, by fording, the next day. The volunteer engineers put 
the bridge in order for crossing, as also the railroad bridge, over which a 
locomotive crossed the 27th at 7 p. m. Forty Government bridge builders 
assisted in the work. 

About 2 miles above the railroad bridge another crossing was prepared, 
designated as “Sumner’s Lower Bridge.” About miles farther upstream 
was constructed a bridge on the old site of “Grape-Vine Bridge,” and desig¬ 
nated sometimes as “Sumner’s Upper Bridge.” This was destined to be 
the historic bridge of the Army of the Potomac. I know of nothing more 
heroic or thrilling in the varied records of that Army than when General 
Sumner’s men, at the time of the floods and Battle of Fair Oaks, ahead of 
orders, marched so closely over this bridge to the relief of their advance 
division as to hold the flooring down by their weight—as soon as the last 
man had crossed, the bridge floated away! The railroad bridge for several 
days was the only means of communication between the main body of the 
Army and its left wing. The other bridges were rebuilt, however, with the 
exception of Sumner’s Lower Bridge, after the floods subsided. 

The character of the bottom lands along the Chickahominy River necessi¬ 
tated the construction of long approaches of corduroy, some of which were 
raised, above the general level, upon stringers. At Sumner’s Upper Bridge 
the solid ground came in comparatively close to the stream. And, although 
there were stronger and better bridges afterwards built, which I shall mention, 
this bridge was probably the only one available for the crossing of General 
Porter’s command to the south side of the river after the Battle of Gaines 

Mill, June 27th. 


103 




104 


It is stated in reports, however, that two bridges were used. If so, the 
second bridge was the one known as the “Woodbury and Alexander Bridge,” 
situated about one quarter of a mile upstream from the former. Upon some 
maps and in some statements, this bridge is given the single name of “Wood¬ 
bury, “ or “ Alexander, ’ ’ more frequently the latter. It was named for 
Brig. Gen. I). P. Woodbury, commanding the Engineer Brigade of the Army 
of the Potomac, and for Lieut. Col. B. S. Alexander, of the Corps of Engineers, 
who selected its site. This was a fine structure, finished June 17th, and built 
by the volunteer engineers, with working parties from the Ninth and Twenty- 
second Massachusetts and the Third Vermont Regiments. It crossed the 
stream at right angles, and then made a turn upstream, along the northern 
bank. It had a total length of 1,080 feet, and was constructed entirely upon 
cribs and stringers, so that it would be above, and able to withstand any 
danger from, floods. 

About 2 miles above was a small bridge, suitable for infantry only, known 
as “Woodbury’s Bridge,” or as the “Infantry Bridge.” This was built by 
the volunteer engineers, and was situated southward from the Adam’s house. 

A short distance above this was “Duane Bridge,” constructed by the 
United States Engineer Battalion, under command of Capt. J. C. Duane, as¬ 
sisted by details from General Porter’s and Gen. W. F. Smith’s commands. 
This was a first-class structure, in all respects, and about 1,200 feet in length. 
While it was being built the water had not entirely subsided, and the very 
heavy stringers could be floated to their place. This bridge was nearly 
straight, and was the main line of travel from the vicinity of Dr. Gaines’ 
house to the south bank. It was finished June 17th, and, on the 19th, General 
Headquarters was moved across it and “Camp Lincoln” established, at Dr. 
Trent’s. 

-Tust above this, the Regular Engineers made a crossing, known as the 
“Foot Bridge,” over what looked like an old beaver dam. Only infantry, in 
single file, could cross it. 

The bridges which I have mentioned were the only ones over which regular 
communication was held by the Army of the Potomac, over the Chicka- 
hominy River. 

Eight miles above Bottom Bridge, where the main road crossed the Chicka- 
hominy, from Cold Harbor to Richmond, was ‘ ‘ New Bridge. ’ ’ The original 
structure was built upon piles, and destroyed when the advance reached there 
on May 22d. The volunteer engineers took possession of Dr. Gaines’ sawmill, 
and got out sawed timber and framed it for a bridge, 114 feet long, to replace 
the original “New Bridge.” This material was hauled down to the site of 
the bridge after dark, but was never used. The Regular Engineers, after¬ 
wards, built corduroy approaches, and put in two ponton bridges. The ma¬ 
terial that had been collected for bridges was swept away by the floods of May 
31st, but by heroic work, at 8.15 a. m., June 1st, New Bridge was available 
for crossing by all arms of the service. This was accomplished more easily 
at this point than elsewhere, because of the fact that the original approaches 
were by way of a raised earth causeway. 

A little over a mile below was built a corduroy bridge, with a couple of 
pontons in the stream. This was known as the “Lower Trestle Bridge.” 
And at about the same distance above New Bridge was built the “Upper 


105 


ITestle Bridge, a crib and corduroy structure, located southward from 
Ellisons Mill, the scene of the Battle of Mechanicsville, June 20th. The ap- 
proaches to these two bridges were never completed to the firm ground, on the 
south side, but infantry could have crossed at any time, and if required they 
could have been made ready in two hours for artillery. Jn this portion of the 
Chickahominy bottom it was more open, there being only patches of timber 
and a fringe of mixed growth along the stream. Consequently, the Engineers 
and working details were frequently driven from their work by sharpshooters 
and artillery fire. All these bridges were made available for crossing to the 
south bank in eighteen days after their almost total destruction by the flood, 


a considerable portion of this work in the vicinity of New Bridge being 
accomplished at night. 

To add something about the value of these bridges, and of their destruction, 
during the Seven Bays’ Battle: 

The Upper Trestle Bridge was destroyed by the volunteer engineers, the 
afternoon of June 26th, during the Battle of Mechanicsville. The same night, 
Lieutenant Reese, with a detachment of the Regular Engineers, destroyed New 
Bridge and the Lower Trestle Bridge. 

Duane’s Bridge, with the approval of General Franklin, Avas destroyed by 
Col. B. S. Alexander the afternoon of June 27th, using an infantry regiment 
for the purpose. The heavy siege pieces mounted at Hogan’s and Dr. Gaines’ 
were taken over this bridge, however, before its destruction. It is stated that 
these guns Avere drawn away by hand, and that, if a strong bridge had not 
been in reaching distance, they would have been captured. They were finally 
put in position on the south side, and covered General Porter’s left flank, 
the afternoon of the 27th, during the Battle of Gaines Mill. 

Colonel Alexander found that the work of destruction of Duane’s Bridge 


had been already begun by a small detachment, but by Avhose orders is unknoAvn. 
This bridge and the “Foot Bridge,” Avere completely destroyed at sunset. 

The Railroad Bridge and the tAvo ponton bridges at Bottom Bridge were 
probably destroyed, and the boats removed, during the 27th. Therefore, at 
the close of the Battle of Gaines Mill, the Grape-Vine Bridge and the Wood¬ 
bury and Alexander Bridge alone remained available for crossing to the south 
bank. Captain Duane had orders to destroy these bridges after General 
Porter’s troops had crossed, and their destruction has already been recorded 
in the main part of this History. 

A number of regiments are credited Avith the destruction of some of the fore¬ 
going bridges, and by high authorities. It is a safe statement to make, how- 
ever, that not one of these bridges Avas destroyed except under the direction of 
a regular or volunteer Engineer officer, and, with few exceptions, by Engineer 
troops alone. 





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